


Te Mando Flores

by HiAjay



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Hale Fire, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Awesome Sheriff Stilinski, Baby Werewolves, Erica and Isaac are Twins, Everyone Is Alive, F/M, Girl!Stiles, Multi, Sheriff Stilinski's Name is John, Werewolf!Stiles, beta!Stiles, beta!derek
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-06
Updated: 2014-08-18
Packaged: 2018-01-18 10:28:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 37,949
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1425130
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HiAjay/pseuds/HiAjay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There’s tension, a whole fuckton and Stiles is behind it all. Her father is there looking frustrated at the counter while Stiles’ pointedly ignores him. She’s pointlessly trying to cook, and there’s a heavy weight starting in her heart. “Stiles.”</p>
<p>“No. I’m not talking about it anymore Dad. I have Eric—,”</p>
<p>“Would you stop lying to yourself!” he shouts, in all the years since Stiles’ mother passed away Stiles hadn’t once heard her father so much as raise his voice. His eyes look over Stiles then he sighs back down at the counter, “God Dammit, Stiles.” He looks back up at her and there’s this look of disapproval, “You’re mother wouldn’t have want this for you.”</p>
<p>“Don’t—! bring her up. I—it isn’t my fault.” Stiles lashes around, her eyes shining their golden wolf color, John just grits his teeth and stares his daughter down.</p>
<p>“Stiles I want, we wanted you to grow up happy. To know love an—,”</p>
<p>“Well I did Dad! I learned! And I wound up burned!”</p>
<p>“Dammit Stiles I want you to stop lying to the boy! I want you to stop lying to yourself because your scared!” he shouts, Stiles' eyes widen and she's staring back at her father, he's angry expression staring back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Once upon a Nightmare

The jeep rumbled to a stop inside a gas station lot, she'd lost most of the control in her body, shaking profoundly as she gripped the steering wheel.

 

it was all coming back in deep vivid flashes. She looks in her review mirror and watches the two blonde twins holding hands in the backseat, seated in their small car seats and breathing calmly. Their chests raising and falling in peaceful sleep, their pink lightly freckled cheeks stained with tears, Stiles parks and rests her head against her steering wheel and takes on sob-tight shaky breath.

 

* * *

  
  
 _“Where were you today?” Matt asked his voice cold and alarming loud. "Stiles, Where the hell were you!" He slammed his hands on either side of Stiles' head. Trapping her against the wall._ _She winced and yelped underneath him, hoping she could get as small as she can against the wall._

 

_"I was at the park wit-"_

 

_"Mommy," a tiny voiced called. Stiles turned her attention to the two small children, standing hand in hand in front of them._

 

 _"Your m_ _other and I are talking!" Matt yelled, the two backed up a few steps before running off into their bedroom, Stiles let out a growl and swung at Matt._ _He cried out as Stiles' claws made contact with the side of his face. She took the chance as he hunched over himself with both his hands covering his face._

 

_She ran past him and into the children's room where she saw them, their tiny bodies trembling. Small whimpers escaped their throats as they held tight to their linked hands._

 

 _"Erica, Isaac. Remember what Mommy told you," she shut to bedroom door and quickly grabbed the bagged suitcase in the closet. "Run fast and quiet. Hide in the jeep. And if her grabs you, shift." She watched them with careful eyes._ _Erica nodded one firm nod and Isaac followed suit Though they were twins, Erica being older by two minutes, she was strong enough for herself and Isaac._

 

_There was a loud banging on the door and the twins flinched slightly. Stiles walked over to them and rubbed their necks, hushing them until the door swung open._

 

_Matt takes one look around and notices the suitcase beside Stiles. Three deep gashes at his cheek, Stiles watched the blood trickle down his face and coat the collar of his shirt. "_ _You're not leaving me." He says with a click of his tongue. Calmer then when they first walked in the house. Matt's expression suddenly twisted, into something angry and distorted,"You are not leaving me!" He shouts, Stiles pushed the twins behind her as their whimpers become louder and a little more desperate._

 

_"Get out of the way, Matt." Stiles growls, hoping her fear is overpowered by the maternal need to protect. Matt just huffs, and pushes his tongue against the inside of his cheek._

 

_"Or what, bitch." He sneers._

 

_Stiles takes a deep breath before she grabs the suitcase and surges it at Matt. She's always been a good aim, and she's glad Matt was to wasted to move out of the way. The suitcase and Matt landed hard on the ground and Stiles jumped on top of them holding him down._

 

_"Go Erica, watch your brother!" Stiles shouts as the two take off running around them. Matt is laughing from underneath her watching the two scurry off out of the house. His eyes come back to meet hers and Stiles see's the dark coldness behind them, and all the years of faux warmth and caring, Stiles' wolf whimpered at the betrayal._

 

_"You_ _think you and them can escape me? You're going to be running with nowhere to hide, Stiles. You and those two sorry excuses for kids." There's a deep earth-shattering crackle coming from Matt and Stiles-_

 

* * *

  
  
"Miss. Miss." An elderly voice brings Stiles out of her horrible memory. She blinks blankly at the women behind the counter. Stiles vaguely remembers getting out of the jeep she hasn't left her children's side since- "Are you alright miss?" The woman asks. Stiles blinks again, unsure of what's real and actually happening. She feels the sting of her eyes, she'd been crying, when was she crying? And its like that when suddenly her world just crashes on top of her.

 

"No. I'm not."

 

* * *

  
Derek is writing on his chalk board and explaining the importance of the ABC's and 123's (Damn it, now he's singing the song.) when his classroom door opens. He pauses and looks over his shoulder to see Ms. Connell standing there looking rather pleased, if the pressed down smile was anything to go by.

 

"I'm sorry for interrupting your class, Mr. Hale, but you have some new students today." She beams. Derek raises a brow in question and that's when two dirty blonde twins walk out from behind her. One a small girl with her hair in a lose french braid that works its way over her shoulder. The other a boy standing with his shoulders a little hunched and behind the girl, his hair hair slightly darker then the girls in semi-curly works.

 

Their averting their eyes and Derek can smell it, _werewolves_. He swallows his need to shine his eyes at them (their just pups, Dammit.)

 

Derek sets his chalk down and straightens out his shirt, it isn't like he hasn't dealt with werewolf kids before, half his class are were-kids. And Derek, aside from Allison McCall, is the only teacher who specializes in werewolf children. Derek makes his way around his desk and kneels down in front of the two offering an easy smile.

 

"Erica, Isaac. This is your teacher, Mr. Hale." Ms. Connell says a little quietly.

 

The boy, Isaac hides behind his sister ducking his head and hiding his eyes in a flop of curly hair. While the girl, Erica, stands defensively and proud in front of him. She isn't looking directly at him, but Derek can now see the shine of clear auburn that is her eyes.

 

"Hi," Derek says, he sees Isaac flinch just slightly and Erica glares up at Derek, making quick eye contact before looking back over his shoulder.

 

"My bother doesn't like loud voices." Erica says matter of factly. Both of Derek's brows raise at that, he was sure his tone was low and- oh.

 

 _Werewolves_. Its weird to Derek that that one line sounds rehearsed. Like these kids were told that being werewolves makes them a menace to their own kind, like they were an  _abomination._  Derek knows that Beacon Hills is a town where werewolves are accepted and treated just as everyone else. So why are these kids hiding behind rehearsed lines?

 

"Sorry." Derek says a little more in a whisper this time. Erica gives him a side long look before she sort of nods at him. "There are open seats over there, do you two want to sit down while I talk with Ms. Connell?" Derek points to some empty chairs at his left.

 

Isaac hasn't moved, but he did whisper his approval of Derek's offer to Erica. To which she nods and heads over in that direction. Derek doesn't look back at them, he's sure they can find the seats on their own. He stands and follows Ms. Connell out. And after the door is closed behind him Ms. Connell starts talking.

 

"Their mother has agreed to meet with you after school, y'know, a meet and greet sort of thing." She supplies. Derek nods a little adamantly, most parents didn't want to meet with teachers until parent-teacher night. "She's- Their different, a special case if you will. And has set some rules for her children which I have here." She hands Derek a once folded piece of paper and Derek takes it and reads over it.

 

 _'1. They are not be left alone with other children. Or in general.'_ (Oops.)

 

_'2. Erica is to be with Isaac at all times."_

 

 _'3. Do not force them to play with others.'_ (Derek was only three rules in and he was beginning to think this mother was off her rocker, he's already broken the first one and that's just- No.)

 

_'4. Isaac is scared easily and doesn't like loud nosies. He will try and find some place to hide until said noise is over.'_

 

 _'5. Erica will be a hard shell. She won't speak unless spoken to directly, she also speaks for Isaac when he shies away." (_ That was a big no for Derek, Isaac should know how to speak for himsel-)

 

_'6. Let her.'_

 

Well, okay.

 

Derek will finish reading that later. Or just wait until after school to talk to, uh- "What's her name?" Derek asks as he folds the paper back up and holds it at his side.

 

Ms. Connell smiles "Ms. Stilinski." Derek wasn't sure if Ms. Connell was messing with him (because she's been known to mess with Derek. Last april she covered his classroom in feathers and told all his kids to dress in chicken costumes, and to further mess with him, there was absolutely no point to it. She just did it to do it.) Derek knows of one Stilinski and that's the Sheriff, his wife died almost sixteen years ago.

 

"Ms. Connell it isn't-" she must have known what Derek was thinking because she pet his shoulder and huffed.

 

"They had a daughter. She's maybe two or three years younger then you." That has Derek back pedaling because he's twenty-seven. If her kids are in second grade that must mean they are at least seven years old and would make her maybe twenty-three or four.

 

"I should get back." Derek clears his throat and Ms. Connell nods and gives his shoulder one more pat and leaves with the clank of her heels on the tile. Derek hurried back into the class and the kids are murmuring to themselves.

 

Derek searches the room and can't see the twins. Panic sets in quickly as he gives the room once overs, when Vernon Boyd, his best student points to the large bean bag chairs in the play area, two blonde heads are sticking out from behind them. Derek let's go of the breath he didn't know he was holding.

 

"Erica, Isaac." He calls quietly, he knows they can hear him, Derek see one of the head duck down and he assumes that's Isaac. "Would you like to come sit with the rest of us?"

 

Erica popped out from behind the bean bag chair. "Promise you won't be loud and the others won't talk about us." She wasn't asking, and Derek felt a deep rumble in his chest, he knows Erica heard it because her hard exterior faltered for a quick moment and took a step back. Derek cleared his throat and sat on the ground.

 

Laura always told him when you deal with scared pups, you make yourself smaller then them. "We promise. Right class?" Derek looks at his kids before zoning back to Erica and Isaac.

 

"Right." The class chimed in quietly, Erica looks down at Isaac and tugs his hand.

 

"Okay." Erica says.

 

They make their way out from behind bean bag chair and stood awkwardly in front of the class, Boyd stood up and cautiously walked to them.

 

"You can sit with me." Boyd says almost a wisp of a noise. Erica looked at Isaac before nodding at him.

 

The day went without problem, Isaac was very shy at first but answered most of Derek's questions, Erica made quick friends with Boyd, both Erica and Isaac seemed happy and normal. aside from their jumpiness and need to be isolated from the rest.

 

It wasn't until after the last bell went off that Derek realized he'd be meeting with Erica and Isaac's mother.

 

"Mr. Hale, is it okay to wait in here?" Erica tugged at his pant leg and he looked down at her bright eyed stare, something stone and hard staring back at him from underneath. He feels a tight sting in his chest when she speaks up again "Mommy said to wait in the class if she isn't here on time."

 

Just as Derek is about to answer, a women with soft long layered curls surrounding her face, barrels in. Her cheeks are puffing in and out and her lips are parted in a sinful 'O'. She honestly looks like she's ran all the way here. She was brushing her hair out of her face and clenching at a bag that was possibly wider then Derek's chest.

 

"I didn't mean to be late, the library was mixing up schedules and I was-"

 

"Mommy!" Isaac and Erica cheer as they run up to and hug their small arms around their mother's legs.

 

"My Pups!" She calls back, she bends down far enough to place kisses on each of their heads and rub their backs. Derek can feel the relief and the happy pool of them, the comfort alone is almost suffocating. Derek suddenly feels like he might be watching something he shouldn't. Though he has seen many moments like these, this one felt way more intimate then what he usually see. "Did you both behave today?" She asked, pulling Derek back to the scene.

 

They both nodded with bright smiles and squinted eyes. "Mommy, Isaac and I would like to eat some apples please." Erica says to her-  _Mother -_  Derek's mind supplies. She looks more like their sister then their mother. That definitely doesn't stop Derek from thinking this woman is beautiful and he might be feeling just a little weirded out that he admitted that to himself with little to no fight.

 

She smiles down at Erica, "Of course, pup. Let me just-" she trails off as she fumbles into the large cheese yellow bag.

 

"I can do it mommy." Erica makes grabby hands at her mother and the woman smiles and shrugs her purse off handing it over to Erica willingly.

 

"Okay, there's also some juice boxes there for you. Make sure Isaac eats at least three apple slices before he drinks his juice." She tells Erica, Erica beams at her and scurries off with the purse, bag, thing in hand.

 

Ms. Stilinski finally meets his eye and she shifts nervously. Her eyes a large brown eyes, cupid bow lips shaped in a tight rehearsed smile, Derek is starting the get curious with all the rehearsed things with this family. Derek takes a deep breath and realizes that was a horrible idea. She smells of oranges and mint, maybe a little milk-chocolate in there somewhere, and most of all, _Werewolf_.

 

She takes a cautious step forward, "Uh, hi. I really hope you don't mind if they eat in here, this is the time I fed them their snacks and-  oh my god. I'm sorry, I'm Stiles Stilinski, their Mother." She hold out her hand and waits.

 

Derek stares at her hand, and she starts to take it back when Derek offers his hand.

 

"Mr. Hale. Derek Hale." Derek answers and shakes Her hand, she presses her free hand to her lips, stifling a laugh. Derek raises a brow and she clears her throat.

 

"Uh, sorry. Its just your whole Double-O-seven thing you've got radiating all over you. And just.." She trails off and Derek is too lost in her animated motions that he lost all track of what she's been saying. Derek's figured out that Stiles is very much a werewolf, and a born one, just like her children. She's talkative and expressive, there wasn't a small moment where she held that tight rehearsed smile.

 

"-thing that I need to know about your class? Or how my pups did their first day?" Stiles' voice chimes back and brings Derek out of his thoughts.

 

Derek looks down away from her and see's the twins munching away at their apple slices, Erica schooling Isaac about how to sit or how many apples he should eat before he drinks his juice. Derek smiles and clears his throat again, he relaxes his shoulders, was it hot in there or something? Geez.

 

"They did great." Derek starts, "They both have an eagerness to learn and got along well with the other children. I'll send a calender with them once I have them. So you'll know the day's activities." Derek finished and watched Stiles expression change from casual to Derek said something he wasn't supposed to. Derek felt heart dropped into his stomach.

 

"Did they do it in their own?" She asks, her animate expression suddenly gravely serious. And Derek has a momentary relapse of thought because he isn't sure what she's talking about. Its only when she glances over at the Twins that Derek knows what she's talking about.

 

"Generally, yes." Derek answers cautiously. He wants to ask about the rules now that he remembers. He wants to ask why she's so stiff, and why her children seem so terrified.

 

Derek didn't _lie_ when he said they were great, because they were. But Isaac, during recess and lunch sat so close to in a corner that Derek thought they conjoined bodies. When the bells rang for breaks and such Isaac would back pedal from where he was sitting and over by the been bag chairs. Erica would flinch and hold her small palms to her ears and then head off to where Isaac was hiding. It broke Derek's heart every time.

 

He walked up to them and lay belly down in front of them, hoping their instincts would tell them Derek meant absolutely no harm. It took some time but Erica lead Isaac out and they'd come out and sit by Derek's head. He smiled at them and told them it be okay. He doesn't know why he said that, but it felt like the right thing to say.

 

She let's out a breath and smiles, relief coming off her in waves. "That's- that's good. Good." She looks to her children this time not a signal to Derek. Her eyes catch the sun and Derek see's were Erica gets her beautiful eye color. The only difference is Derek can see the age in Ms. Stilinski's eyes, the way their soft, but have underlining hardness. The setting sun catches at just the right moment and her skin projects a beautiful pale golden silhouette. Her hair coffee brown and small blonde highlights shines back at him. Her cupid's bow lips pull in a soft smile as she watches the twins. Derek feels a fondness so deep within his stomach that he thinks you might be able to grasp it.

 

"They are smart, beautiful kids." Derek says without really meaning too. Stiles turns back to face him. Derek's breath hitches in his throat as a pair of clear auburn eyes stare back at him in honesty, and total lack of protection or guarding. Just the clear whiskey color and her soul just out there for Derek to see.

 

She nods at him hesitantly, "Yeah, they are." After a moment of staring off at each other she opens her mouth and shuts it shortly after. "I know the list of rules looked shady and made me seem like this crazy strict mom, but _please_ don't let them out of your sight. Ever." She finally says. The please might have been what got Derek, what made him rethink the insane rules she set for them. Made him think deeper into this, Ms. Connell said to him,  _They're different, a special case._

 

"I won't." Derek agrees with a nod. And the agreement is more like a promise to them, his wolf rumbling in acceptance. Stiles smiles this tiny hardly noticeable smile and nods back.

 

She pats her hands awkwardly at her sides and looks at everything that isn't Derek. "Well alright. Nice meeting you, Mr. Hale I will be-"

 

"Derek."

 

"What?" Stiles pauses, Derek mentally face-palms, he didn't mean to blurt that out, if they'd met out on the street sure Derek would tell her to refer to him as Derek. But dammit, his her children's teacher.

 

"Derek. You can call me Derek." Might as well right? Stiles looks at him for a wary second and Derek wonders if he should take it back when their attention is pulled away by a sharp yelp then a cry.

 

Stiles is out of his line of sight and practically flying towards her twins. When Derek catches up, it seems that Isaac punched a hole in his juice box and spilled it on himself.

 

"I didn't mean too! I'm sorry, mommy, I'm really sorry." Isaac cries while he repeats his sorries. Erica is head deep in her mother's purse digging out and handing Stiles napkins.

 

"Its okay, pup. Its just juice. You're okay." Stiles is whispering as Isaac cowards against her chest as she is drying up his clothes. Derek heads over to his desk and pulls out a cotton grey t-shirt and heads back to them.

 

"Here." He nudges the shirt at Stiles, she's staring back at him then shaking her head.

 

"No, thank you. He'll be fine, it was just a little spill." She looks back down at Isaac who is trying to disappear with his mother's chest.

 

"He'll get sick. This is a back up shirt anyway." Derek shrugs, still holding out the shirt. Stiles looks at the shirt then up at Derek and sighs.

 

"Thank you." She tentatively takes the shirt from Derek and she pauses when the shirt get close enough to smell. It is a back up shirt, but its also a comfort shirt for whenever Derek misses his family. (He had everyone wear it for a week before he got it back. Mind you that all thirteen of his family members wore it, one week each. Including himself.) Derek expects Stiles to hand it back and tell him he shouldn't  give something that smells like pack away to strangers.

 

But she just purses her lips and picks up Isaac, he's clinging to her and hiccuping,"Mind if I use that room there?" Stiles elbow points to the storage room next to his board.

 

"Go ahead, there's a bathroom down the hall if you don't-"

 

"That room will do." She says and heads in said direction. Once the door shuts Erica picks up the trash and tosses it in the small bin by Derek's desk.

 

"Are you a werewolf?" Erica asks once she's back by her mother's purse. Derek huffs and takes a seat down on the floor next to her.

 

"I am." He answers. Erica seems to ponder this a few moments before she talks again.

 

"Isaac and me have trouble with our wolf. And Isaac doesn't like it. Mommy says its okay, it happens. But we don't know what she means."

 

Derek's wolf whines at his chest, because he remembers that, the sudden pain of a full shift and the random out burst of a partial shift, it wasn't easy. It was painful most of the time too. So Derek nods,

 

"I had trouble when I was small too." Erica looks up when he says this And she seems honest to god surprised.

 

"You did?" She asks.

 

"Yeah. And I'm sure your mommy has too." Derek see's Erica's expression change quicker then he can blink. She seems sad and maybe a little scared.

 

"Mommy hasn't shifted." Erica whispers, she doesn't get to finish what she's saying because Stiles comes back into the room with Isaac in her arms wrapped in Derek's grey shirt. His other clothes in Stiles hands underneath Isaac.

 

Derek's wolf whines at him, asking him undefined questions, they don't make sense and he almost feels compelled to hug these three wolves. Just hug them until they can't breath.

 

"Erica, let's go home." Stiles marches passed Derek and Erica hands her her purse. Derek stands up and nearly bumps into Stiles and Isaac. He catches Stiles flinch and shut her eyes, clenching at Isaac and shifting Erica behind her.

 

Its three seconds later that Stiles opens her eyes and gives a small breath of relief.

 

"Um, thank you for meeting with me, and I trust my pups are in good hands. I, uh, I'll return the shirt as soon as I can." She gives him a small nod and Takes Erica's hand. Magically she's shifted that purse on her shoulder.

 

"Bye Mr. Hale." Erica smiles waves as the head out. Derek smiles and waves back.

 

"Bye Derek." Stiles smiles something soft and candy like. Derek feels his knees shaking under him, and fuck, he's screwed.


	2. Hush, the nightmare's over.

Its been almost a week and everything has shifted back to normal. The classes are going as planned since before Erica, Isaac and Stiles made a mellow-dramatic into his life. Derek’s been teaching them fun little facts about their favorite animals. Isaac seems to have taken a huge interest in turtles; while Erica is overly excited about Manatees.

 

“Mr. Hale,” Erica calls, Derek’s learned the difference between all their voices, and it definitely had nothing to do with the fact that he was suddenly hyper-aware of Erica and Isaac.

 

Derek turns to face her, “Yes?” Her answer face is one of utter happiness, and Derek gets it every time he focuses his attention on her.

 

She wiggles in her colorful chair before answering him “How much does a Manatee weigh?” She glances down at her colored construction paper and looks back up at him through his lashes, and there goes Derek’s heart. He’ll look for it later, he supposes.

 

“They weigh two thousand pounds.” He answers with a smile, Erica beams back at him and scribbles the new fact down in a flowery notebook. Derek’s noticed that Erica has written most of what she finds interesting down in that book. Last Wednesday she covered two whole pages in facts about wolves.

 

Derek was sure he was driving their mother wild (No. No, Derek you promised you wouldn’t go there. Keep it in your pants man. You teach her _kids_ dammit.) Isaac raises his hand tentively and Derek gives a small smirk, Isaac hasn’t out right come out of his shell like his sister, but after being protected by her, Derek would count this as a win for both of them.

 

“Yes, Isaac?”

 

Isaac takes a moment to look down at the crayon he’d been coloring with and says, “Mommy told me there are two hundred different turtles.” Derek nods along as he speaks, Isaac isn’t sure of what Derek tells him and know that Isaac asks his mother for facts to compare to Derek’s.

 

And that’s fine by him.

 

“Then she’d be right, there are two hundred different species of turtle and some are endangered.” Derek adds, there’s this spark in Isaac’s clear green eyes that Derek adores, because in the moment when Isaac learns something new, he shines and his shell melts just a little more.

 

“My Mommy tells me that turtles live to a hundred and fifty.” Danny Mahealani says with a nod towards Isaac, and like that Isaac is back in his sister’s shadow. Danny almost seems regretful and ducks his head back down to his paper.

 

Derek sighs, at least Isaac said something today.

 

They day continues with random out bursts from Isaac, talking here and there. Derek’s seen him talk to Boyd, maybe a sentence or two before he nods and goes back to his paper. Erica is like a loose cannon some days. Today was one of those days.

 

Derek see’s Danny inch closer to Isaac, offering crayons and markers and smiled every time Isaac accepts them.

 

Derek is so engrossed with his day that he almost forgets that the full moon is tonight. _Almost._

 

Half his class being were’s means they won’t really be here tomorrow. Derek wishes that was what was bothering him, but it isn’t. What’s bothering him is Erica’s distant look and her words, _Mommy hasn’t shifted._

If Stiles hasn’t shifted that means she hasn’t really taught her kids to shift, and its not like werewolves need to full moon to complete a full shift, it hurts less, yes. But the shift is as free as your emotions.

 

Before class is over, Derek calls Erica and Isaac over to his desk. Both of them reeking of fear by the time they get to him, he offers a soft smile and the smell sort of disappears.

 

“You both know the full moon is tonight, right?” He asks, Erica and Isaac share a look before they look back at him, they nod and Derek feels something sting his chest.

 

“Mommy told us to be very careful today. And that I have to watch for Isaac.” Erica whispers, Isaac nods his head at what is being told.

 

“Being careful is important.” Derek tells them, their eyes harden from all emotion and Derek’s stomach drops, he never thought he’d see kids so distant and _gone_ while standing right in front of him. “Does your mom shift with you?” he asks. Isaac whines and tugs on Erica’s sweater, and she looks down at her pink grey converse.

 

“We _can’t_ shift.” She says guilt seeping out from her words, “Mommy doesn’t shift because Isaac and me can’t.”

 

Derek’s seen a lot of his students shift under his watch, and it wasn’t frowned upon as long as the children didn’t step or squeeze each other. Werewolf pups are like actual pups, and some people have a hard time understanding that. He hasn’t seen the shift come easily to either of them. Isaac sometimes has trouble with control. He’s punctured several juice boxes and torn several papers.

 

Erica has growled and her fangs have made an appearance once or twice. But nothing that Derek wasn’t able to handle. Both Erica and Isaac were careful enough to be away from other kids when these moments happened. But it didn’t stop the crying fit and the endless I’m sorry’s that followed.

 

Derek heaves a sigh and pats their heads, “It’s okay.” He whispers, because he wants to believe it himself. No werewolf is okay when their wolf can’t break free, even when they don’t need too.

 

He sends them back to their seats, they enjoy the rest of the day coloring and filling out their worksheets.

 

At the end of the day, Derek walks his class out to the front of the school where their parents wait for them.

 

Stiles is always the first and only mother he sees, (Totally not because he thinks her dark blonde hair is beautiful or that her lips are just as sinful even in a smile that’s meant for her _children._ ) Because if Derek has to talk to Ms. Landers again he’ll rip his own throat out; the woman is almost in her forties and she’s wearing skin tight leopard print with neon bras. Derek isn’t shaming anyone here, he doesn’t care what you wear.

 

Be you, but seriously, Derek is still young and this woman looks like she could be _his_ mother. (Derek’s mother is far more attractive then—Fuck you Ms. Landers for having Derek to justify his _own_ mother’s attractiveness—anyone her age. His mothers forty eight.)

 

Plus, Stiles is far better looking than the rest here, her slightly ripped light blue jeans with a black t-shirt that reads _I’m not a morning person._ Derek chuckles at the sight, because she looks like she had just gotten up, her hair a straight mess, sticking out in chopped directions. But the way the sun catches her and just beams- Derek, Derek, calm the fuck down. Her kids are still here.  

 

So anyway, Derek has Isaac and Erica at his sides while the rest run off to their parents. Boyd says a quick bye to Erica and she waves happily back at him. Danny gives a shy, tentive bye to Isaac and he nods back with a small smile.

 

“My Pups!” Stiles exclaims and bends down on one knee, Isaac is the first to bolt away from Derek and to his mother. Erica takes her time after her bother.

 

“Mommy, Mr. Hale says that some turtles are endanger!” Isaac says more excitedly then Derek’s seen him all day. Stiles raises her brows in surprise and gasps.

 

“They are? I had no idea, guess that means we’ll be sending some pennies and dimes to those research facilities to help save them, huh?” Stiles says with a smile, Erica gets to her in time and wraps her arms around her mother’s neck.

 

“Hi there pup, what’s wrong?” Stiles asks as she warps her free arm around Erica’s tiny body. Derek stands awkwardly above them and feels weirdly out of place as he watches on, really there’s no reason for him to still be standing there. Even if he feels out of place, he also feels like he needs to stand there, like something is telling him to _stay._

“Nothing.” Erica almost whimpers as she cuddles her face into her mother’s neck. Stiles clicks her tongue and shrugs.

 

“Guess you don’t feel up for ice cream either.” Says Stiles, she looks up to meet Derek’s eyes and smiles brightly up at him, winking and giving a subtle nod at her kids. Derek gives a returning grin.

 

Erica pulls away from Stiles’ neck, “Ice cream? Really?”

 

“Yeah Erica, we do it every-” Isaac stops short and Stiles looks away from Erica for a moment and frowns.

 

“Isaac, its okay here. You can say it. Remember what Grandpa said?” Stiles tells him with a small raise of her brows.

 

“That it’s okay, we don’t have to hide here.” Erica adds, “Ever full moon, Isaac.” She smiles at her brother, he takes a moment to think about it then erupts in giggles and crowds away into his mother’s neck.

 

Derek doesn’t want to assume, but he’s like fifty percent sure they lived in some state where being a werewolf was a horrible decision. Derek’s wolf growls and feels him clawing underneath his skin, because that isn’t right. Derek would bet his entire bank account that these three are beautiful wolves.

 

“I, uh, have your shirt in the Jeep. Let me just get these two in the car and I’ll hand it back to you.” Stiles stands and sets her hands on her kids heads. Derek nods and follows them because he isn’t going to stand there and force Stiles away from her kids on the day of the full moon.

 

The reach a blue and black jeep and Derek had to bite back a laugh, because this jeep would be exactly what Derek pictured Stiles driving around in.

 

“Mommy, Mommy, did you know that Manatees weigh two thousand pounds?” Erica jumps at her mother’s side and when she gasps, Derek does laugh then. She opens her door and pulls the seat up, she gives Derek a look and he just shrugs.

 

“Alright get your tails in your designated seats and buckle up. Wouldn’t want Grandpa to pull us over.” Stiles tells them, both of them giggle as they work their way into their seats and buckle up. Once its been done Stiles lifts her seat back and reaches in for the Derek’s shirt.

 

Derek _does not_ take that moment to admire her as-

 

“I know how important it is. Anyone with a super sniffer could tell. I’m just really sorry it smells like my pack now too.” Stiles’ voice comes back strained and muffled, her feet slightly going up as she reaches for his shirt.

 

“It’s alright,” Derek shrugs, he meets Erica’s eyes and starts promptly making faces, she’s covering her own face as she laughs and kicks her feet.

 

Isaac soon see’s the cause of his sister’s laughter and joins in the giggling and joyful wiggling. Oh yeah, Derek’s gone.

 

Stiles gets back up and Derek stops his faces, only smile back at her as she raises her shaped brow at him then looks over at her kids. “You aren’t trading me in here are you?” Stiles asks them.

 

“No, Mommy!” They both giggle from their seats. Stiles laugh and looks back at Derek. She hands him his shirt.

 

“Your shirt, Mr. Hale.” Stiles nods, Derek takes his shirt back and grins.

 

“Thanks.” He nods down at his shirt.

 

“No problem, I figured if I timed it right you’d get your shirt back before the full moon and I wouldn’t look like someone who forgets easily. And, uh, thanks for . . .,” Stiles trails off as she points her thumb over her shoulder at the two who are now talking amongst themselves.

 

Derek shakes his head, “I work with kids for a living. It’s what I do.” He shrugs. Stiles nods as she looks down at her feet.

 

“Okay well, I’ve got to get these pups some ice cream and head home.” She pats her thighs and smile-nods at Derek.

 

Derek bites his tongue, because if he doesn’t he knows he’ll ask what they’re going to for tonight, but he’s only really known them for a week and a half. Well he’s known Stiles’ kids for that long, he’s only really had two or three short interactions with Stiles. Mostly hi’s bye’s and thank’s, because that’s something Stiles likes to say.

 

Stiles is jumping into the jeep and starting it when Derek comes back to reality, Stiles is pulling out and waving bye, Derek does nothing but wave back.

 

Once they’re out of his sight he looks down at the shirt in his hands. It smells like Stiles and Isaac, and a little bit of Erica. And he didn’t even have to hold it up to his nose.

 

Derek is so screwed.

 

* * *

 

 

Derek wakes up violently shaking and trying to catch his breath. His chest feels like someone is pressing a thousand bricks against it. His body is breaking out in a cold sweat and his wolf is howling deep within him.

 

Derek had just come back from his run with his family, sleep was just a shower away from him, and since he had to be in to teach tomorrow he cut his run short. Things he did often.

 

He looks down at his clock and it shines back at him as two-forty AM. Derek gets out of bed and heads into his kitchen, something in his stomach is pounding through him like a rabbits heart beat. He gets himself a glass of water and doesn’t even drink it.

 

He feels shaken up, scare, _anxious_. It makes him sick and Derek doesn’t know where to begin. He goes through the list of all thirteen names and he knows their okay, he was with them not four hours ago.

 

Derek heads back to his bed and picks his phone up from his night stand, he knows he’s mother is still awake, so he’s safe to call.

 

It rings three times before she picks up, “ _Talia Hale speaking._ ”

 

“Mom.”

 

“ _Derek, sweetheart. What’s wrong?_ ” she asks because she knows Derek, and he only ever calls when he feels like something’s wrong or when he’s feeling trapped and alone.

 

“I was going to ask the same thing. Is everyone okay?” Derek asks, there’s no answer immediately, and Derek tries to keep his sense, because his mother pauses like that sometimes.

 

“ _Everyone is fine, we all just got in from our run._ ”

 

Derek lets out a breath of relief, the feeling is still thick in his stomach and knows his mother wouldn’t lie to him.

 

“Good, that’s good. I- I just had a feeling.” Derek rubs a hand to his face and sits down on his bed. His mother tells him everyone is fine and assures him  thirty more times before they say good night and Derek is sitting there in the dark of his loft pondering at the gnawing anxious energy.

 

* * *

 

 

“It hurts Mommy.” Isaac whines. Stiles holds him closer to her and pets her fingers through his hair.

 

“I know pup, I know.” She hushes him.

 

“Mommy. Mommy.” Erica calls in small howls as she claws at the concrete floor of their basement. “It hurts, it hurts.”

 

Stiles chuffs, calling Erica over to her, Erica comes over and hops on the large dog pillow next to her. Rolling her back against Stiles’ thighs and kicks her legs out. Isaac shifts in her hold and starts pushing at her, kicking and growling.

 

She sets him down next to his sister and they both whine and howl at her, stiles’ wolf whine deep within her and her heart is breaking with every second.

 

“Pups, Pups. Listen to me,” stiles lays down with them, they work their way on to her and roll themselves on her, rubbing human hands over their arms and legs. “If I shift, I need you too let go too, okay?” Stiles offers.

 

They pause for a moment before they start whining again, “It hurts to much, Mommy.” Isaac howls, calling for her comfort, for her to make it better.

 

“I know Pup. I know. Just let go, it’s okay now you can let go and shift.” She tells them, rumbling her approval in hopes they’d just let go.

 

Erica begins to cry and rubs her hands to her eyes, “I can’t Mommy.” Stiles takes her and sets her on her belly holding her head and cradling her face to her neck.

 

“You can, its okay. Its safe, pup.”

 

Isaac crowds her side, pushing his head against her side and cried along with this sister. “You want me to sing, will that make it better?” she asks, hoping something would comfort her children like she can’t.

 

Erica nods against her chest, while Isaac howls. Stiles sings their favorite Disney song, _colors of the wind._

 

Erica settles against her and Isaac shifts a little until he’s draped over her leg. They quiet down enough for Stiles to sing quietly to them, it isn’t long before Erica is sound asleep on her and Isaac follows shortly.

 

Stiles’ wolf cried under her skin, begging to be freed, begging to comfort her children, lick their salty tears away and shield them within her fur.

 

Erica wakes up and whimpers, “I’m sorry, Mommy.” She whispers, Stiles shakes her head.

 

“No pup. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

 

Isaac is awake shortly after and he walks around the large room, running his claws along the walls and growling at the corners and kicking randomly assorted pillows that are on the floor.

 

It’s only three and Stiles knows the moon is nowhere near the horizon. “You want to try to shift again?” Stiles asks, Erica pushes off Stiles and stands in the middle of the room. She shuts her eyes tight and whines.

 

Stiles shakes her head and crawls to her, taking her shoulders in her hands, “You don’t have to think about it. Just let it go, Erica.” Erica stares back at Stiles, her own eyes reflexing some fear that’s been left behind.

 

Isaac makes his way to them, and stares back at Stiles, “If I shift, I need you two to shift with me.” She tells them.

 

They don’t shift that night, Isaac doesn’t get past his claws and flashing of his eyes. Erica can’t get past her claws and fangs. They fall asleep somewhere around seven AM. When the sun slowly makes its way back out.

 

Stiles carries them back up the steps and out of the basement. Stepping on the cool wood floor as she enters back into her kitchen; she sighs as the fresh air fills her lungs. She walks across the kitchen, past the living room and up the stairs to the twin’s bedroom.

 

Once they’re in bed and tucked in, she falls against the wall in-between their beds and her arms pool in the V of her legs as they stretch out in front of her. Stiles watches for a moment as Isaac and Erica turn on their sides and pull their blankets up to their faces.

 

Stiles let’s herself cry in the dark of the room for a few minutes before she stands back up and heads down stairs and lays down on her couch and sleeps for an hour before Isaac lets out a sharp whimper telling her that he needs her.

 

Stiles is in there room the rest of the morning, singing to them and telling them stories about their grandmother and the large breakfast she'd make them once their okay enough to eat. Stiles doesn't stop to cry for the rest of the day, she doesn't stop to think about anything but her Pups and what they need from her. Once Isaac and Erica have fallen asleep again she kisses their foreheads and heads back down stairs to work on breakfast.


	3. Pompeii, I guess this is were we begin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys, I'm so sorry about all the typos. Really I am. I shake my head every time. Anyway, I wanted a happy day for Stiles and her pups. Because there are some bad days to come. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!! (:

Derek wakes up that morning feeling like he should still be asleep, he calls Ms. Connell around six and tells her last night kicked his ass. Not in those words per say, she got the point anyway. Derek is staring out his window wall, the night brought him no sleep and constant tossing and turning. It wasn't until around seven or so that the anxious energy settled.

 

Even then his heart felt heavy and his throat burned like he's eaten some really acidic fruit. Or his mom's lasagna.

 

The feeling itself disappeared a little after nine. He got out of bed and went through his morning workout, burning the extra surge of the full moon. He eats a sensible breakfast of bacon and eggs before he goes to take a shower. He doesn't think twice about it when he eats breakfast first. Also doesn't think about how he takes longer in shower either.

 

Once he's out and dressed in his dark jeans and a grey v-neck he looks at his loft. What the hell is he going to do now?

 

_Nothing_ , his mind supplies. Derek sighs and sits down on his couch; he probably got two hours of sleep this morning, seven-nine, ehh close enough.

 

Derek's mind goes back to the blissful hours of his sleep. He can see his dream clears as day, and that worries him.

 

Said dream goes like this;

 

_Derek is standing on a beach, calm waves crashing against his bare feet and pant legs, because he's too lazy to roll up his pant legs, shut up._

_Derek has his hands in his jean pockets and takes a deep lung filled breath and shuts his eyes. He can smell the water, the salt and the....orange mint._

_Derek's breathing stops as his eyes snap open and he looks over his shoulder. And there in front of the setting sun, Derek sees his favorite trio._

_Erica in her pearl purple top and matching swim shorts dancing around with Isaac whose wearing a swim shirt and transformers swim trucks. Beside them, smiling down at them is their beautiful mother._

_A large knit sweater draped lazily over her shoulders. Her arms crossed over her belly, hiding whatever skin her black bikini top exposes. Along with a subtle red beach skirt that wraps at her waist. Derek takes his time as he studies her out look. Proud mother of two gorgeous pups, strong Beta in a Pack of three, sole provider for her kids and beautiful beyond all reason._

_Derek watches them in awe as they make their way across the beach. Isaac splashing Erica and she retaliates with stomps of water. Derek almost assumes they are going to walk past him._

_But that's when Stiles' bright, clear auburn gaze catches his and she smiles at him. Stiles calls her pups and they pause in there water attack and look to where Stiles is pointing. Derek raises a brow, then Isaac and Erica are running to him._

_And call him crazy but he shifts into his fur and gives a playful stance. Erica tackles him first, knocking him over on his side. Isaac finally shows up and Derek barks happily as they brush and scratch at Derek's belly and flank._

_That's when Stiles bends down in front of him and slides her hand under his chin and holds it there. The touch melts Derek and he goes limp in her hand. He whimpers because he doesn't know why she isn't shifted and playing with them. He doesn't know why none of them are shifted with him._

_Derek is suddenly laying in the sand, his eyes closed and he feels the warm sun beat against him. He can feel the prickle of the sand underneath his bare back, then there's a...hand?_

_Derek opens one eye open and sees the offending hand resting on his chest, a water cool touch that isn't unwelcome. Then Derek's curiosity wins, he opens his eyes and is met with salty sea water long hair that's draped over his arm and shoulder. Actually, his entire arm is missing. He blinks a few times then see's way to much misty soft, sun kissed, mole dotted, pale skin (damn Derek way to be descriptive. This is totally what your parent sent you to college for.) laying beside him._

_Black bottom and top contrasting against her skin, Derek doesn't have time to think about who he's holding because mumbles wake and sets her chin on his pectoral. Derek's heart is trying to jump out of his chest like its thumper._

_Stiles shifts closer and sighs like she's the happiest goddamn person alive and Derek just stares back, bewildered. Derek looks away for a split second and Stiles rests up on her elbow. She slinks up just slightly and whispers at his temple. Derek trembles underneath her. And just as her lips are going to find his_ — his alarm goes off.

 

Derek might have broken his alarm clock due to excessive force.

 

He's awake now, wishing he was asleep, or just at the beach. Maybe he should go to the beach. Hm. Maybe.

 

Derek sighs again before he looks at his clock; two thirty. Yeaaaah, let's go to the beach. Derek gets off the couch and grabs his keys from the small table by the door.

 

The beach is quiet, a few people sleeping in the warm sand, some pitched tents vacant from their owners. Derek removes his boots and socks and just walks. He probably gets a few yards away from his car when the beach becomes lonely and vacant.

 

He takes a deep breath and thinks about the sound of the waves crashing to shore.

 

"You did it!" Derek hears, and he stops dead in his tracks because he knows that voice. And its Derek's fuckin' luck that he'd run into Stiles and her pups here.

 

"Good job!" Derek doesn't really know that voice, but its male and sounds almost as young as Stiles an ugly feeling sets itself inside Derek's stomach. Derek walks around a large rock, spotting Stiles in a grey knitted sweater (of course.) and her hair sort of wet  as she bounces around a light brown pup who's standing unsure on his four legs. Derek knows its Isaac because Erica just plopped down in the sand and giggled up at up at the pup. Plus they seemed to be the only kids there.

 

The male standing next to Stiles looks like Deputy Parish; Derek may have sighed just then. The sheriff was there as well lounging under in umbrella with his girlfriend, Melissa.

 

It seems like the McCall’s were also out today. Derek suddenly feels like a creep so he turns tail and head in the direction he came.

 

"Isaac! Wait, Isaac!" Derek hears and turns around fast enough to end up with an arm full of puppy. Isaac is licking at his face and barking happily. Long floppy limbs trying to find a right place to settle and his nose bumping Derek’s cheek as he licks the salt from his face.

 

Derek chuckles and ruffles Isaac's damp fur.

 

"Isaac don't run away from Mommy like that I alm- oh." Derek meets Stiles' eyes and offers a smile as Isaac tries to climb on his shoulders, only managing to drape the his long limbs over said shoulder. "Mr. Hale."

 

"Derek. You can call me Derek." He tells her as he pulls Isaac from his shoulders and chuffs at him. Isaac barks back and his tail wags joyfully making a loud _whoosh_ sound.

 

Stiles smiles with a nod, "Derek, It seems my Pup has found you and also soaked your shirt. Derek settles Isaac finally on his hip and gets a look at Stiles, her knit sweater hiding nothing that is pale and mole dotted skin; and sculpted in smooth curves. _Damn_.

 

It looks like she'd just jumped out of the water and chased Isaac to him. Derek shrugs as he looks down at his shirt because staring any longer he'd have to be classified as his Uncle Peter. And that's just wrong.

 

"Its water. It'll dry."

 

Stiles laugh at that and she nods at him, "Yeah your right. Uh, here let me..." She gets closer to him and Derek holds his damn breath. Stiles stands at his chest and takes Isaac from him. "There, now I have my pup and you-" Stiles laughs as she tried to gesture at Derek.

 

Derek's shirt is soaked through, and well what can he say?

 

"I smell like wet dog anyway." Derek jokes, Stiles' laugh dies down just a little and Derek regrets opening his mouth.

 

"You actually don't and I would know, I hang around these two at the beach a lot. Your more of a black coffee and salty air. It’s . . . nice." She huffs with a grin. Derek purses his lips and nods.

 

"I belong in a seaside coffee shop then. It’s what I went to college for." He tells her, she out right laughs, Y’know those laughs where you toss her head back and just let go. Isaac barks with her and his tail goes mad.

 

“Is everything alright?” Derek tears his gaze from Stiles to see Parish make his way to them, standing up behind Stiles. Derek holds a growl as he see Parish touch a hand to Stiles’ shoulder and pressing his cheek to Isaac’s wiggling head.

 

“Yeah,” Stiles nods, but her eyes are firmly locked on Derek and Derek feels a little silly for feeling jealous at Parish’s familiarity with Stiles. “This is Isaac and Erica’s Teacher, Mr- Uh, Derek Hale.” Stiles corrects and Derek’s would rumbles in happiness.

 

Parish gives a smirk as he holds at his hand, “Heard a lot about you, Mr. Hale, I’m Isaac’s Godfather, also a distance cousin. The names Parish. Well my last name at least, but that’s what everyone calls me around here.” He chuckles, Derek takes his hand and gives it a firm shake.

 

“Nice to meet you. Well, I was just walking the beach and realized I’ve come too far so I’-” Derek doesn’t finish because Isaac lets out a deep whimpering whine and Parish smiles and claps a hand on Derek’s shoulder.

 

“Looks like the kid wants you to join us, C’mon.” Parish smiles, Stiles starts flailing her free arm and shaking her head just a little, Derek’s heart stings a little at the thought that Stiles might not want him being around.

 

But of course that’s when she opens her mouth and says the most heartwarming sentence, “We can’t just ask him to join us, Par. You need to know if he’s got other plans or a date to get back too.”

 

“Stiles, really? You’re going to play that card after all the-” Stiles tried and fails to subtly step on Parish’s foot. They argue back and forth and Derek is still stuck on Stiles’ smelling like a kicked puppy when she said _date._

 

Derek’s wolf feels utterly giddy with happiness. “No date.” Derek clarifies, “No plans.”

 

Stiles pauses her flailing and looks at Derek before smiling “Then would you like to join us? I mean, if you want to. No pressure or anything. I know that we haven’t really, well that’s how you make friends right? You just, okay, someone stop me before I get too carried away.” And Isaac does the pleasure of licking Stiles face with one long strip up her face.

 

Stiles laughs and noses Isaac’s face, Parish is shaking his head at them and Derek feels oddly comfortable watching the exchange.

 

“I’d love too.” Derek finally agrees.

 

* * *

 

 

Derek was introduced to Stiles’ father, telling him to refer to him as John. Melissa called him sweetheart and handed him a beer. Allison and Scott just waved at from where they played with Erica in the water.

 

Stiles was playing with Isaac in the sand, letting him chase her and she chasing him back. Derek sat with his arms wrapped lazy around his knees, beer in hand. Watching them all play around in the sand, water, and sun.

 

Derek sighs and John glances at him, “You know how to play a drum, son?” he asks. Derek  turns his had to face him and raises a questioning brow. John raises both his brows then points to a drum over his shoulder. It’s a colorful stand up drum that looks like it belongs in Mrs. Llores history call.

 

Derek thinks about it, and yes, Derek can play the drum. He can play five different instruments thanks to his music inclined parents and grandmother. Derek nods and looks back at the Sheriff.

 

“The kids love music, Parish brought his guitar and we were planning on a music bon fire before we all call it quits and head home.” Says John as he reaches over to the cooler for another beer. Melissa laughs beside him giving him with fond annoyed look.

 

“Stiles is pretty amazing with several different instruments,” She says then looks up to meet Derek’s eyes, “The drum was not one she’s particular good at.”

 

“Stiles’ mother. She always loved music, would teach Stiles to play the piano every Fridays. She’d sing Frank Sentara whenever they were in the kitchen together.” John nods as he stares out at the group playing out in the water, Stiles’ back to them as she sits where the waves don’t reach and watches the kids play with their pack.

 

Derek looks back at John, he seems older then he did just a few minutes ago, “Stiles, she’s trying to raise those kids they way her mother raised her. I see it every time she worries about Isaac’s social skills or Erica’s self-esteem.” John clears his throat and takes a sip of his beer. “So music, you willing to join us?” John stares back at him and Derek can see the age and the time this man has lived. Seeing what Derek could only imagine is a lot of _life._

Derek takes a sip of his own beer, “Yeah. I’ll love to be a part of it.”

 

* * *

 

 

Turns out John was right about Stiles’ inability to start a beat off the drum. She was able to start but it turned into jumbled noises only succeeding in making Erica and Isaac laughs and shake their heads at her.

 

“How ‘bout we start with the guitar, Stiles. Give that poor drum some breathing time.” Parish jokes as he hauls his guitar from behind him and tunes it too his liking; Stiles grumbles about bad drum jokes as Scott and Allison laugh from their seats next to John and Melissa.

 

Derek is seated on the cooling sand with his back against a large log with Isaac (He shifted back when he got sand in his nose and sneezed. It was pretty hilarious, Isaac thought so too.) On his left and Erica on his right. Derek remembers the night his own back would do these beach nights with music and stories of his ancestors.

 

“Okay, this is a personal favorite, and I’d like to pick . . ” Parish trails off as he pretends to look like he’s debating who he wants to sing said song. “Erica!” he points happily at her, Erica wiggles giddily against Derek before she stands up and makes her way to him.

 

The bon fire is medium in size and everyone is in circle around it, enough space to be safe for the kids to walk within the circle of people. As soon as Erica is at Parish’s side, Stiles takes Erica’s abandoned spot, just a few inches away from brushing Derek’s shoulder.

 

“Okay, are we all ready?” Parish calls, everyone nods

 

“You can do it, Erica!” Isaac calls, from his spot, Erica smiles at him and pats down her tiny beach skirt and hold her hands gently in front of her.

 

Parish starts playing a soft tune, Derek should know this, feels like he should at least. And sure enough, Parish starts to sing _Tale as Old time._ Derek is rather impressed with his vocal skills. And he totally didn’t expect Erica to be so great, he was expecting something a little more off tune and child like. But no, Erica’s voice almost lifts past Parish’s.

 

Its just a short part of the song that they sing and its over quicker then Derek would like it to be.

 

Parish smiles at Erica as she sings the last line, she smiles back at him and then giggles when he nuzzles his nose to her cheek.

 

Stiles then sits up as she takes Erica in her lap, “Okay, I can top that, Erica, can you snap your fingers.” Stiles asks.

 

Erica does as told, snapping her fingers in timed snaps. “Okay, good.” Stiles smiles down at her child, “Dad, bring that drum over here.”

 

“Wait, we aren’t going to hear you fail at that again are we?” Scott jokes, Allison smacks his arm playfully and Stiles sticks her tongue out at him.

 

“Derek.” John calls as he passes him the drum, Derek settles it in front of him.

 

“Two beats, one, two pause, one, two . . .” Stiles trails off as she shows him with her own hands, Derek follows the movement until he’s got what she’s asking for. She smiles at him with a nod. “Okay, Allison,” Stiles starts off on a song Derek’s older sister Laura simply adores. _Pompeii._

The song is soft and Scott joins Erica in her snapping, Melissa joins with Allison in the _Eh-Oh’s._ Stiles sings the song beautifully and powerful. She smiles down at Erica and then up at everyone as she gets to the chorus.

 

Derek’s heart almost keeps up with the beat on the drum in front of him.

 

Derek was a part of something as hauntingly gorgeous as this and he isn’t sure how to feel about it. Erica jumps in and sings with her mother, the two for sure are making angels weep somewhere.

 

  _“Oh where do we begin,_ ” Stiles is finishing and Stiles motions for Derek to stop and Scott continues to snap his fingers and Allison and Melissa quiet their voices.

 

“ _The rumble of our sins._ ” Erica finishes in pitch perfect fading along with the snaps of Scott’s fingers and Allison’s and Melissa’s voice. The clapping is loud and the laughter is even louder. There is praise and high fives going around. Erica hugs her mother’s neck and giggles as Stiles hugs back and tells her how proud she is that Erica could do it.

 

Derek smiles and Isaac works his way out of Derek’s side and on his lap, giggling and high fiving Erica.

 

Derek could say the night shouldn’t have come to an end, but it did, shortly after their songs. Derek helped pack everything in their designated cars. Derek somehow ended up with Isaac and Erica in his arms dead asleep. Their cheeks pressed to his shoulders and their arms hanging over his shoulders and their legs tiredly hanging from his sides.

 

He gets to Stiles’ jeep and when she turns around she bites back at laugh, “Well at least their asleep. If they were awake they’d talk your ears off.” She tells him with a bright smile. She turns back and pushes her seat forward.

 

“Okay, Isaac’s first.” She smiles as she reaches out for him. He willingly let’s go of Derek and clings to his mother.

 

“’m be optimus ‘bout is.” He mumbles, Stiles laughs and works him into his car seat.

 

“Yes you are.” Stiles chuckles as she gives him a stuffed toy and buckles him in, “Sleep, Pup.” She whispers as she brushes his hair out of his face. She turns back and makes grabby hands for Erica. Derek huffs with a smile and hands her over carefully.

 

“’m sleepy mommy.” Erica scrunches her tiny slightly sunburned face.

 

“I know. You can sleep now, pup.” She tells her and gives her a different stuffed toy and buckles her in. Derek see’s Erica shift a little before she settles and her breathing evens out along with her brothers.

 

 Stiles brushes Erica’s hair out of her face as well then hops out and pulls her seat back. She turns to Derek and closes her knit sweater around her frame.

 

“Thank you.” Says Stiles as she runs her fingers through her still damp hair. Derek shrugs and raises a brow with a smile.

 

“It was fun.” He answers honestly. Stiles nods absently, her eyes looking everywhere that isn’t Derek, he can smell the nervousness on her under all the sweet mint and salty water on her.

 

“I should get going too.” Derek adds, Stiles finally meets his eyes and offers him a small grin, something sweet and looks like it belongs on her lips more than the few times Derek’s actually seen it.

 

“Yeah, we—us too. We should all head home, school night and all. Which makes me question why you were roaming the beach on a school day?” Stiles raises a playful brow.

 

“Last night kicked my as—Last night was rough.” Derek corrects as he glances at the kids and clears his throat. Stiles laughs and doubles over in it.

 

“Good save.” She wipes her eyes for the tears, “They’ll ‘ _ooooo_ ’ you when you say a word like that, they’ve done it to me a few time. It’s a adorable really.” Stiles rubs a hand to her nose and sniffles a little, “Okay, so thanks for joining us, I have to get these sleepy pups home and then promptly pass out.”

 

Derek chuckles, “No problem. I’ll see you later.” Stiles smiles at him and jumps in her seat, shutting the door with a few grumbles from the back seat; she rolls her eyes. She starts the jeep and waves on last time at Derek before she heads out.

 

Derek stands there a few more moments before he smiles to himself and starts his walk back to his car.

 

That night, Derek dreams of a music filled house with bright walls colored in the orange of the fire place and the smell of delicious food from the kitchen. Laughing children and a woman who kisses his temple and gives him hope for the future.

 

Guess it’s time to call mom.


	4. We're nothing if not Family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again for the typos, I should really have some Beta these, but I haven't had the time and I just get really lazy and I shouldn't be, but well oops. So I hope you guys like the chapter, and I'll see you next time!

A week and four days, Derek visited his family's ranch in the deep counties of Beacon Hills. Derek did his shopping for the month. Derek taught his class about morals and tiny voices that tell you when something's wrong.

 

A week and four days. Derek hasn't seen Stiles or her kids in week and four days. His class room was vacant of Isaac's shy nature and Erica's explosive personality. Its friday and Derek is in his class room grading last minute homework before he calls it a night and heads home.

 

The silence is a reminder that Derek really has nothing to look forward to. He was always taught family is the real goal in life. It probably meant shit to him when he was seventeen and in love with Allison' aunt, but now in the silence of his classroom he realizes that because of Kate he stopped his life and just brisked by with his tail tucked between his legs.

 

Kate, being an anti-werewolf activist, pretended to love and care about Derek. She tried to burn his family while he was away at School. Lucky for him that his mother knew about the secret affair and kept tabs on them. Especially on Kate.

 

They knew about it before it happened and Kate along with her father were arrested and charged with attempt at murder. The whole town thought the Hales would hate the Agrents. But why waste your time on those who meant you no harm.

 

Derek went to a teaching program one year and they'd become good friends.

 

"Go home Derek." Allison calls from his door. Derek huffs an waves ungraded papers at her.

 

"These. Don't grade themselves." Derek deadpans, Allison laughs and shakes her head at him.

 

"That's what sundays are for. So pack up and go home. And I'll see you sunday at our usual place." Allison orders because she'd have to nice to ask. Derek sighs and rolls his eyes.

 

"Alright. Alright, I'll call it quits." Derek pushes his chair out and starts his packing.

 

"That's what I like to see. See you sunday, Derek." Allison chuckles. She waves at him And Derek waves back. He listens to her sensible heels clank along the floor then the double doors open and close. Derek could've asked Allison if she's heard from Stiles and her pups. Guess that piece of information will have to wait. Derek starts to think about his friendship with his psychopath of an ex's niece.

 

Derek remembers one year, almost six or seven years ago at a teacher program (really its just a convention where older teachers talk to starting teachers. The only bright side, you travel a lot and free food.) That year's convention was held in New York and Derek was a room away from Allison. When they met up for coffee early the next morning Derek could smell the unhappy air before he even turned to look at her.

 

Derek doesn't bring it up until she has her coffee and they're seated on a small out side table.

 

"What's eating you?" Derek asked, Allison lets out this dragged out sigh, she fiddles with her cup staring down at it like it'll give her all the answers she needs.

 

"You know about my fiancé, Scott." She finally says, and yes Derek knows about Scott McCall. A rare case of werewolf born to human parents. He was a big deal for awhile, Derek's mother assumed the McCall line had some werewolves as ancestors.

 

"Yeah." Derek says aloud just for Allison's benefit. Allison meets his eyes, Derek can see that she hadn't had any sleep in awhile. Dark bags under her eyes and the puffy complexion under her natural makeup.

 

"Well Scott's best friend moved away from Beacon Hills before she turned eighteen, she was really smart, graduated early and got all these genius scholarships. So she moved to a college in Atlanta." Allison pauses, Derek is a little lost but he assumes this is one of those long stories where one needs that backstory before hearing the actually story.

 

 

"She was fifteen or sixteen when she started college. Everything was great, she'd visit often and spend her breaks here with us, she was her usual sarcastic, happy self. Its was around the second year she'd been out there  that she started to visit less. When she did visit she looked . . . Unhealthy. And it progressed." Allison takes a deep breath before continuing. "She didn't visit for her eighteenth birthday, so we assumed the worst."

 

Allison sniffles and takes a sip of her coffee. Derek watches on as she takes another deep breath. "I've been dating Scott since high school. his best friend was always there, she was like his sister and became one of my closest friends. So when Scott panicked about her completely disappearing, I didn't stop him when he packed a bag and high tailed it to the airport."

 

"How is everything now?" Derek asks because he thinks Allison is done and he can ask questions. Allison's eyes watered just a little and she looked down at her hands in her lap.

 

"We don't know." The words sink like lead in his stomach. "Scott came back three days later and he looked lost and like someone ripped out his heart. Scoot didn't say anything passed 'she's alive.' It didn't bring us comfort, in fact it caused more worry. Because Scott sounded like Stiles should have been better off dead. That's his beat friend and he looked and sounded like he'd lost her completely. Her father- god he loat his wife and then he is losing his daughter too." Allison's sobs are choppy as she speaks hiccuping and trying to keep from crying.

 

"Scott didn't talk about after that. Tomorrow- tomorrow's her birthday." Allison sounds like she's acknowledging some friend that died with those words. Derek feels like he wants to throw up his coffee or just stop drinking it.

 

He remembers the feeling well and he remembers hugging Allison as she cried on his shoulder. Mumbling about how she worried about Scott, how she was scared that their best friend could be hurt and not being able to call for help.

 

It was a change of pace for Derek. He started to check in with his family more often, visited Laura that day, because she moved to New York with her best friend. Derek, after hearing that story and seeing that Allison was so panicked and worried made him feel like he was dated Kate again. Like he was the one spilling out his heart to his older sister

 

Its been seven or so years since Allison told him that story. Derek's forgotten to ask Allison about Scott's best friend. Maybe he'll ask when they’re both in their usual coffee shop on Sunday grading papers that in Derek’s mind should have been grade Friday.

 

Derek heaves a sigh and he's everything put away.

 

* * *

 

He spends Saturday at his family’s ranch, because fuck everything if he’s going to sit in his loft and brood all day and feed Laura’s need to taunt him on it. His mother is all happy smiles and cupping his face when he arrives.

 

“Oh my baby.” She coos at him, “You look starved. Have you been eating right?” she examines his face with a worried expression. Derek huffs with s side smile.

 

“I’m fine, Ma.” He answers, “I eat on a regular basis.” Talia tugs him in and leads him into the kitchen where the noise of his uncle Peter and Peter’s wife Genevieve, are sitting with the youngest of their four kids, Casey who is around Cora’s age. Derek’s father is in the backyard grilling, while Dorron (and his girlfriend) and Ronelle are standing closest to the sliding glass door (and her wife); Peter’s eldest are out talking with him. Derek’s smaller cousins are running around the yard, only stopping to hug his legs when he showed up. Derek’s older brother, Kale and his wife Joanna are in the kitchen cutting vegetables looking like they were still in high school, smiling and pecking each other with small kisses as they work.

 

Derek’s ten month old niece Aithne, is sitting in a baby chair gurgling around her fingers as she plays around with the cheerios in front of her. Derek drowns in the noise before he waves at everyone. He goes to sit beside Aithne and smiles at her, she gives him a happy yip and reaches out her chubby hands at his face.

 

“What’s up baby bro?” Kale slaps a hand on Derek’s shoulder, and you’d think being a powerful would at least have Kale lighten up on his hits, it seems that lesson when they were ten hasn’t stuck to him yet. “Not used to seeing you around here on the weekends, what’s the deal.” Kale also has this uncanny ability to know when Derek’s home for _emotional_ or otherwise _advice_ reasons.

 

Derek sighs and looks up from Aithne, “Just felt like coming home.” He answers, he refocuses on Aithne and she giggles and gurgles when Derek has his attention back on her.

 

“Oh c’mon in a house full of werewolves, you decide now is a good time to start lyin’? It might have worked when you where six and had those big hazel brown green pearls.” Kale laughs as he pulls up a chair and takes a seat on the over side of his daughter. Derek rolls his eyes and continues to pointedly ignore him to admire the beautiful werewolf child in front of him.

 

“Nephew if I may sugget-”

 

“You may certain not.” Derek snaps. There’s a chorus of _ooo’s_ from the women in the kitchen then Derek’s mother comes back from wherever she disappeared too.

 

“Now Derek, what’s eating you.” She asks. Derek sighs frustrated and hides his face away in his hands for a moment.

 

He just wants to be in the noise of his pack without question. Do they really have to question him? “I just—I just wanted to visit.” Derek says in a calmer tone, because if he snapped at his mother, his _Alpha_ like he did with his uncle, he’ll be thrown out that glass door faster than he can apologize. He unburies his face from his hands and looks for his mother’s face.

 

She’s helping Jo with the vegetables but she’s looking disappointed and a little hurt when she nods at him, “Okay, sweetheart. Okay.” She whispers and goes back to work on the vegetables. Now Derek feels like an asshole,  his mother looks like she’s about to cry and he can feel Genevieve staring hardly at the side of his face.

 

“I’m going for a walk.” Derek announces once he feels like its suddenly too crowded in the kitchen. He gets up and Kale stands up after him.

 

“I’ll join you.”

 

Derek doesn’t stop him.

 

Derek’s walking with no direction into the deep forest surround the ranch house. He waves hi to his dad before he disappears behind the tree line. Kale is there on his heels not saying a word. And for awhile Derek is grateful, that is until Kale knows they’re out of ear shot.

 

“C’mon Derek. You reek of sad puppy. Sure your scent changed a little when you first walked in, but every-”

 

“Kale, please. Save me some dignity and just leave me be.” Derek tells him, not looking away from his path. Kale is quiet for a few more blissful moments. If it wasn’t for his super hearing he’d think Kale left him alone.

 

“Derek.” Kale calls him, there’s an underlining tone there that forces Derek to stop. “What’s eating you, man?”

 

“Listen, I can save you from the obnoxious teasing you’re presumably going to get from Laura, if you don’t talk to me. But I can’t save you until you start talking, pup.” Kale tells him. Derek stand stiff in his place. He can hear the worry in his voice and it’s not like Derek wants to shut out everyone. He just doesn’t want them involved in whatever he’s got in his head about Stiles and her kids.

 

Derek knows that even if Kale see this as a sore subject for Derek, he’s still open his mouth to Laura. Kale and Laura being twins there wasn’t anything they didn’t share, nothing they’d really keep from each other. Derek and Cora were the same way, only when it came down to whom really let out the horse from pen that one year Cora tried to learn how to ride.

 

Derek grumbles and takes a seat on a fallen log, Kale watches him closely and doesn’t take any step to sit next to him.

 

“There’s—,” Derek stops and bites his lower lips a little, think about how he can make this something that Kale could relate too. When nothing comes to mind Derek sighs and looks down at his hands. “She’s beautiful. They’re beautiful.” He blurts out. There’s a thousand and one things flying through his head about Erica, Isaac and Stiles that he really can’t word it any other way. Derek looks up to see Kale nod his head at him.

 

“Okay.” He says, “Who’s _they_?” Kale asks.

 

Derek looks back down at the ground, he notices this small purple flower in-between his feet. It reminds him of Erica, the way her blonde hair would be contracting against the dark purple flower. He smiles down at it.

 

“Okay, stop with the emotions. Your giving my nose whiplash.” Kale huffs and takes a seat next to Derek. Derek gives him a side long look before he rubs a hand down the length of his face.

 

“Her name’s Stiles.”

 

“What’s a _Stiles?_ ”

 

“Shut up Kale.”

 

“Okay, okay. Sorry, continue.” Kale amends, his hands motioning for Derek to calm down, Derek takes a breath and focuses on the small purple flower.

 

“Her kids are in my class—,”

 

“Her _kids_ as in more than _one_?” Kale leans down to get a better looks at Derek, Derek snaps his head up and glares at his older brother. “Okay. Okay, sorry . . . again.”

 

“Their twins, Erica and Isaac. There was this weird feeling of comfort and fear all mixed into one when I first meet them.” Derek remembers the looks Erica fed him without actually looking at him. “They were scared.” Derek added.

 

Kale frowned his brows and leaned back just slightly, “Scared? What do you mean _scared?_ ”

 

“As in _you-watching-that-documentary-on-domestic-violence-scared._ ” Derek tells him with a looks in his brothers eyes, Kale nods just a little then leans his elbows on his shoulders.

 

“That was some scary shit, man. It wasn’t even a documentary, it was like a _point of view_ thing.” Kale says with a raise of his brows and a small nod. “So what, you’re assuming abuse from their mother?” Kale looks at him in confusion.

 

Derek shakes his head violently, “No she—I, I think she’s being abused, Kale.” Derek admits, feeling a little guilty that he’s just realizing this. “The first day I met her pups she—,”

 

Kale raises his hands and arms in a wild gesture, “Wait hold it. Hold it. You need to answer me this one question.” He states dramatically.

 

“Meaning you won’t ask more if I answer this one.” Derek raises a brow. (It’s a family thing. He’s noticed too.) Kale gives Derek his best bitch face and rolls his eyes.

 

“No, obviously I’m going to ask more. Now shut up.”

 

“So I can’t answer you?”

 

“Derek.” Kale warns. Derek shrugs and gestures Kale to continue, “Is is a werewolf?”

 

“Yeah.” Derek answers, “So are the pups. All three are born, not bitten.” Kale nods and nods, but nothing else. So Derek continues from where he started. He tells Kale of Isaac’s jumpiness to loud noises, his constant apologizing for little spills or things he didn’t even do. He tells him about Erica and how she is wrapped in this hard shell and is always standing in front of her brother. How she’s always ready to _attack_ or _run._

Then Derek tells Kale about Stiles. Tells him that Derek’s seen her outer shell, this fake façade of a person, one that’s been trained to stay in line. He tells him of their first meeting and when Derek came to stand up and she braced for impact, shielding her children. Derek let’s Kale know that he’s only known them maybe two weeks, three weeks max, but he’s seen them smile. Even under those smiles, Derek can see this fear in their eyes.

 

“That sounds like abuse, Derek. Straight out of the books _abuse._ ” Kale tells him after Derek’s finished telling him. Derek just nods because what else is he supposed to do.

 

“The day of the full moon, Erica and Isaac were coming a little more out of their shells, Stiles even seemed like there was a weight lifted off her shoulders.” Derek tells him, sitting up and stretching his back, “Everything seemed to get better until I had that god awful feeling in the pit of my stomach.”

 

“Right, I remember, mom told us that you called around two to ask if we were okay.” Kale nods, he stands from his place next to Derek, and paces in front of him. “You know, Mom told us that we only feel that way when a member of the pack is sick or hurt.”

 

Derek nods, because yes, Kale. That’s why Derek called home and asked if everyone was okay. “Yeah, and everyone was fine when I called. But the feeling didn’t disappear until a little after nine.”

 

“In the morning?” Kale asks sounding just the little bit surprised. Derek nods. “Wasn’t any of us.” And Derek didn’t think that would make his stomach hurt the way it did, make feel sick and almost uncomfortable.

 

Derek doesn’t want to talk anymore, and he no longer cares if Kale tells Laura, he—No wait, he does care. “Kale.” Derek growls standing up right and glaring his brother down.

 

“Whoa fangs of fury, calm down. I’m not—,”

 

“Don’t tell the pack.” Derek snaps. Kale’s face shifts from mocking amusement to anger. His brows shot together and he glared at Derek.

 

“Excuse _you_. But the last time I checked we talked about preventing abuse, not enabling it.” Kale’s voice is forceful and tight, his teeth showing as he talks back.

 

“This isn’t the packs business, Kale.” Derek answers, flashing his blue eyes at Kale, which has him stepping back with his brows relaxing. Derek’s blue eyes are a constant reminder to him and his family that because they interfered, an innocent girl had to die. Kale feels partly responsible for that, and Derek knows it.

 

“But it’s the right thing to do, Derek. The _human_ thing to do.” Derek knows Kale is right, knows that Derek has to say something, has to _do_ something. When Kale doesn’t receive an answer from Derek, he continues. “You never got to hear this story while you where growing up, but I’ll tell you know.” Kale is now a good few feet away from Derek, keeping his distance.

 

“Mom and dad can bruise us and have it show. Mom can hurt us, physically, and have it last for days, even weeks.” Kale says, gravely serious, “Alpha’s have this remarkable power of being able to bruise members of their pack. Mom taught Laura and myself, bruised us then apologized on end until the purple marks have faded.”

 

“Kale I—,” Kale stops him, shaking his head, “I won’t tell our mother. But if you haven’t saved those kids and their mother by your next visit, I’ll beat you senseless and tell Mom.” Kale tells him, flashing his eyes for extra measure. Derek just nods, he nods like his life depends on it.

 

They had back and act like what they talked about wasn’t important, his mother kept eyeing him from her side of the table as they eat and Peter kept huffing as Derek averted his eyes. An hour or so, Derek left promising to visit again and apologizing to his mother for his behavior.

 

She simply smiled at him and kissed his forehead. Derek went home and went to sleep.

 

* * *

 

 

He couldn’t sleep, it was five AM and he was awake on a Sunday. Derek texted Allison and asked her to meet him a little earlier than usual but there was no answer. Derek assumed she was still asleep.

 

The hours dragged by and Derek was being to feel restless. So he grabbed his coat and keys and took off the coffee shop with his papers in hand. Once there Derek took his usual place and ordered his coffee, he began to train his focus on to his grading, getting engrossed with something will keep him busy until Allison got there.

 

Derek was working, sort of. He looks up from his papers and rubbed his eyes, looking out the window and sighing, how long was he staring at that paper? He looked down at his stack and he’d already gotten through half of it. He clicks to unlock his phone and its well over two hours since Allison was supposed to show.

 

Derek’s restlessness because a sick feeling in his stomach and his heart falls like its made of iron.

 

_Something's wrong._


	5. Unwritten Certainties.

Derek couldn't get in touch with Allison on Sunday. Derek's heart was beating wildly out of control and he honestly thought his chest was going to explode. That was Sunday.

 

When Derek checked in on Monday morning and got ready for his students, Allison showed up at his door. Before he could question her she stopped him and gave him the saddest looking smile he's ever seen on her face.

 

"My phone was in a tragic accident that involved Scott's super strength." She says like it provides all the answers in the world. She sighs and crossed her arms, leaning against the door frame. "I didn't have to go and replace it because we had a family emergency."

 

Derek raises his brows at her; she just shakes her head and leaves. Derek was about to follow her when his first students start to pile in.

 

"Hi Mr. Hale," Danny waves at him with a smile. Derek nods back with a smiles or at least whatever he could muster as one.

 

"Hi." Boyd nods up at him. Derek nods back, Boyd has stopped surprising Derek, really he has. The rest of his kids pile in and take their seats, and none of them are twin pups with blonde hair. Derek takes a deep breath and stops himself short when he smells it. Comfort and a little bit of fear that lingers in. Derek looks towards the door where two every shaken twins stand.

 

Derek's wolf is overjoyed at the sight of them, but once he gets a better look, he sees that both Erica and Isaac have their heads down low, their tiny hands link with each other and twitching every few seconds.

 

They quietly make their way to their original seats, keeping to themselves. Erica doesn't even wave back to Boyd when he waves at her. And Boyd doesn't just wave at anybody. Isaac is sticking closer to Erica, almost forcing himself into her. Erica doesn't say or do anything past mumbles and light pecking at pencils.

 

Derek doesn't say a word to them the whole day, just makes himself as non-threatening as he can. Because if his assumption is right, and he can see that it is, these kids don't need anything else scaring the shit out of them.

 

Derek talks in almost whispers telling his class go be super quiet today because it’s quiet day or something like that. It works either way. It’s when the first bell goes off that shit hits the fan.

 

The bell goes off and Erica takes a hold of Isaac and they bult out of Derek's classroom. Derek panics and chases after them, they don't go far, just into Allison room where Derek finds them gripping on to Allison's pencil skirt. She looks up to meet his panic and she just sighs and looks back down at the two.

 

Allison is petting their heads and shushing them. Derek sighs out a relief breath before he remembers his class is alone. He glances at Allison and she nods at him, so he goes and checks on his class. Their all silently waiting his return and when Ms. Connell meets him at his door she nods him to Allison's room, she must know something because she usually doesn’t take over classes for anyone.

 

Derek doesn't question the woman, just works on instinct and heads for Allison's classroom. Once there Allison is on a bended knee holding their heads as she lets them cry on her shoulders.

 

"Want me to call your Mommy?" Allison whispers. Isaac pulls away from Allison's shoulder and nods at her. His cheeks a blotchy pink and pale, his tiny fists coming to rub his eyes of the tears he's shedding. Erica is just nodding from where she's tucked in Allison's neck.

 

"We didn't mean too Auntie Allie. We-" Allison shushes Erica as she strokes her hair, stopping her from finishing her sentence.

 

"I know. I know." Allison says, "Mr. Hale is here, can you go with him while I call your Mommy?"

 

Derek freezes in place and then there are four pairs of eyes on him. Allison gestures him to get down on his knees and Derek does, holding out his hands and trying to seem as much of a non-threating as he can.

 

Erica is the first to barrel into him knocking her head against Derek's shoulder. Isaac soon follows doing the same. Derek feels himself sigh into them, because he doesn't know if he'd survive their rejection of his comfort. He holds them close, taking whatever pain they have. Derek winces as his veins turn black, Erica and Isaac settle just a little against him. Whimpering and hiccupping on to his shoulders.

 

Allison calls Stiles, Derek ignores the conversation and listens to the kick started heart beats within his arms as they slow down. He rumbles a little making them push closer into him.

 

"She'll be here in five minutes." Allison whispers, Derek looks up from the kids, but doesn’t make to move from the classroom. Allison’s face does that face Derek remembers from the coffee shop years ago.

 

“C’mon.” Derek adjusts them so he can lift them up in his arms, they fidget and try to bury themselves in Derek’s chest and neck. He can feel where the wet patches of their tears have gathered on his shirt, and really Derek couldn’t care. He nods over at Allison and she simply stares at him then gets back to talking to her students.

 

Derek walks to his room and see’s Ms. Connell, she looks over to him and simply nods, So Derek heads to the double doors.

 

“We didn’t mean too.” Isaac whimpers, his hand comes up from under his chest and he reaches out for Erica.

 

“We didn’t mean too.” Erica repeats and takes his hand. Derek doesn’t ask, because he can _feel_ it. The guilt, the fear, and dread; all like heavy lead in his stomach; Derek holds on to them a little more securely. Once he’s past the open double doors, he spots the Sheriff’s patrol car pull up. It’s still parking when Stiles jumps out and runs to them.

 

“Isaac, Erica.” Stiles calls once she gets to them, she’s running her hands down their backs, brushing their hair out of their face. All the while they’re trying to jump into her arms. Derek makes sure they don’t fall from his arms.

 

Derek gets a good looks at Stiles when she’s examining her pups. Her pale, mole dotted skin, looks unhealthy almost too pale to be good. Her eyes are extremely puffy and red, along with her nose. Derek can smell the salt of tears, and the feelings of anxiety and tension around her.

 

“Let’s go home. C’mon.” Stiles says, taking Derek away from his thoughts. She takes Isaac from him and she’s reaching for Erica when the Sheriff offers to take them both.

 

“I’ll get them in the car. You go talk with—this young man actually. Good to see you again Derek.” John says, Derek just nods at him, watching him walk away with both pups in his arms. Erica gives him a little wave and Isaac simply makes eye contact.

 

“I—they won’t be coming in for awhile. If you could give Allison all of their hom-”

 

“She’s their Aunt, right?” Derek blurts out, Stiles looks taken back but she nods regardless. Stiles is in a black cotton jacket that looks a size to big with a red tank top underneath. She’s also got on sweatpants that are rolled up at her waits, exposing just a sliver of pale . . . _bruised_ skin. Derek lets a growl escape him and Stiles flinches and takes a careful step back.

 

Stiles looks a little horrified, and Derek whines, because he can’t verbally apologize for shit. Stiles’ body loosens from some of its tension.

 

“I’ll make sure they get it all done. Allison will return it too you-”

 

“Are you okay?” he asks, because Derek has bad timing and really when was he going to get another chance to talk to her, help her? “Are they okay? And please, we’re both lie detectors.”

 

Stiles narrows her eyes at him for a moment before she takes a deep breath, “We’ll be fine. Thank you.” And Derek should’ve known better then to ask an abused werewolf not to lie, because they know how too. “They’ll be fine.” She repeats.

 

Stiles just stares at for a moment, back stepping until she’s fleeing distance. “Ms. Sti—” Stiles waves a hand at him, her eyes misted and her brows frowning like the movement caused her great pain.

 

“Mrs. Stilinski was my mother. Please don’t—Just, I have to go.” Stiles flees, and Derek wishes there was another way to say it, to _see_ it. But there isn’t, Stiles runs fast then her legs should carry her back to the John’s police cruiser. John pulls out and Derek catches a glance of Stiles curled up on the passenger seat, wiping her eyes and glancing back at her pups.

 

Kale was going to kill him.


	6. Cake, Cake that smells like Stiles. What?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was working on this chapter before any the other chapters if I'm honest. It's in Stiles' POV, the next chapter will always been in her POV giving more of a back story. Also, Stiles isn't still getting abused. she just wasn't letting herself heal. I don't remember if she says something about it in this chapter, but that's the reason why. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!

Its Friday and there’s tension, a whole fuckton and Stiles is behind it all. Her father is there looking frustrated at the counter while Stiles’ pointedly ignores him. She’s pointlessly trying to cook, and there’s a heavy weight starting in her heart.

 

“Stiles.”

 

“No. I’m not talking about it anymore Dad. I have Eric—,”

 

“Would you stop lying to yourself!” he shouts, in all the years since Stiles’ mother passed away Stiles hadn’t once heard her father so much as raise his voice. His eyes look over Stiles then he sighs back down at the counter, “God Dammit, Stiles.” He looks back up at her and there’s this look of disapproval, “Your mother wouldn’t have wanted this for you.”

 

“Don’t—! Bring her up. I—it isn’t my fault.” Stiles lashes around, her eyes shining their golden wolf color, John just grits his teeth and stares his daughter down.

 

“Stiles I want— _we_ wanted you to grow up happy. To know love an—,”

 

“Well I did Dad! I learned – and I wound up burned!”

 

“Dammit Stiles I want you to stop lying to that boy! I want you to stop lying to yourself because you’re scared!” Stiles stares wide-eyed at her father, while his frowned brows and heavy eyes stared back at her.

 

“I—,”

 

“No. Just stop, Stiles. I know your scared, I know your healing, physically, emotionally. But you felt it, hell Melissa felt it and she’s _human._ ” John pushes off the counter and crosses his arms over his chest. “Its stronger then what I felt for your mother. What we felt _together._ ” Stiles drops whatever is in her hands with a clank on the ground and rounds the counter and embraces her father. If he were human, his skin would’ve bruised, he’s bones would’ve broken, he’s lungs would’ve collapsed. But he isn’t, and his skin _will_ turn back to its tan shade, his bones _will_ heal, his lungs _won’t_ collapse. He doesn’t hug Stiles as tightly as she’s hugging him. Because Stiles’ skin _is_ bruised, even if its healing, everything still hurts.

 

“I miss her.” Stiles whimpers into his father’s chest. He just nods his head against hers.

 

“I miss her too, kid. I miss her too.”

 

Erica and Isaac come into the kitchen holding hands and rubbing their eyes, Stiles let’s go of her father and wipes her jacket sleeves at her eyes and smiles down at her pups.

 

“My tummy hurts, and Isaac’s head hurts.” Says Erica with a tight whine, Stiles knows Erica is holding her crying back for her sake, so when Stiles falls to the ground and pulls them to her and whispers that it’s safe to cry and they do, Stiles cries with them.

 

Stiles wasn’t ever going to let them go, not now and not when Matt was still out there. He’s inching closer to Stiles’ new home, a home where its empty of his scent. Where when Stiles walks in through the door all she can smell is her father, her kids and her. Stiles will no longer roll on her back and be the faithful beta to an Alpha who can’t even be kind to his own kids.

 

John is on his knees and pulling them into his arms, and they stay like that until Isaac announces that he’s hungry and would really like to watch Frozen with his Mommy. The words hurt so much that Stiles smiles bright through her tears and cups his face, nodding and kissing his forehead.

 

Stiles let’s them choose what they want to eat, Erica wants grandma’s soup and Isaac wants chicken nuggets, So Stiles starts in the kitchen, working his hands and engrossing in her tasks. John takes the kids and leads them to large and open living room, across the grand stair case.

 

Stiles as she works thinks about her house and house it still smells faintly of her mother. Stiles came by the floor plans years ago  and told John to get his butt moving because Stiles wanted something to come back too. Turns out that Stiles’ mother spent her time scenting the wood work and hiding pieces of her scent soaked clothing in the frame work and that’s why John avoided the unfinished house.

 

The house was finished a year or so after Erica and Isaac were born. Stiles never got to see it, and she’d always dream of living in it with her pups, and her pups growing up in a warm open house where they were free to roam and open windows and curtains. Where the light would always seep in from a forgotten window and they’d stand there for a few minutes and just bask in the warmth.

 

But her pups were born, they were born with no light, no warmth and little interaction with none if any of their pack mates.

 

Stiles’ mind sinks back to the dark nursery, no windows, and one large wooden door that was always opened just a little. The room was always dark and Stiles would sleep on the hard floor by their crib.  One crib for twins because Matt’s parents refused to buy a new one for her pups.

 

“Stiles?” John calls, Stiles blinks and looks down at her hands, clenching hard at a knife in her hand and visibly shaking.

 

“I, uh, I’m sorry. I wa-”

 

“Don’t apologize,” John shakes his head and walks to her, taking the knife and pushing her out towards the living room. “Your kids are waiting.” He smiles soft at her. Stiles nods, just nods blankly and heads out of the kitchen.

 

Walking into the living room her kids looked up at her and smiled, their bright faces lighting up at her, they started to move around on the couch to make room for her in-between them. Stiles heart is so tight and _hurting_ that she doesn’t know how to face her own children.

 

Stiles softens her eyes and gives them the faintest of smile, genuine nonetheless and takes her seat in-between her beautiful pups. Once she’s seated they crowd her and snuggle themselves into her sides. She rests her hands on their little arms and lets the comfort and home swell in her heart.

 

Stiles doesn’t watch the movie, she’s in her thoughts, trying to make sure her pups are safe, make sure their not afraid anymore. So she’s looking at the doors, the open windows, the casting shadows. Her home, is just big enough to fit thirteen people comfortably all in separate rooms. It’s a two story, and open first floor, where the living room, kitchen, and library are in a crescent moon around the grand stair case. The double oak wood frame French doors open to the dark wood grand staircase that lead up into the second floor. Where it splits right and left; leading to several bedrooms and on game room, it was open and there were French doors up there that opened up into a balcony.

 

Stiles’ mother was nothing if she wasn’t all about open spaces and lots of windows. The game room severs as another living room/play area for Erica and Isaac. All their toys are scattered around the white carpeted area. There’s a large love seat there where Stiles has found both her pups cuddled in and fast asleep.

 

Stiles didn’t want a TV in there, she knew it’d take away from the beauty of the openness, the bright and warmth that seeped through the large windows around the room. Isaac would sometimes sneak Stiles’ ipad from her master bedroom and hide away with Erica in the play area, watching Calliou and Jojo’s circus.

 

Point being, this house is meant to hold more then Stiles’ little family of three, but right now, three is just enough for this house.

 

Stiles comes back from her thoughts to hear John call them, “C’mon mommy!” Isaac takes her fingers and tugs at her to follow. Stiles laughs and follows them back into the kitchen.

 

They eat in peace, Isaac surprised Stiles when he stopped mid chicken nugget and frowned down at his plate. Stiles shared a look with her dad before she looked back at Isaac.

 

“What’s wrong pup?”

 

“I want to see Mr. Hale.” Isaac says, and it isn’t a request, it sound more like a little need. Stiles’ heart almost stops in her chest and she takes a deep breath.

 

“He’s probably busy pup and I—,”

 

“Want me to get him, Isaac?” John asks, Isaac look up at his grandfather and nods with the wide honest eyes and pleading look. He lets go of his nugget and rubs a hand to his chest.

 

“It hurts here, mommy doesn’t look sick and Erica feels it too.” Isaac looks over at his sister, Erica takes a spoonful of her soup and looks a little guilty.

 

“Is that true, Erica?” Stiles asks, Erica simply nods and stares down at her soup. Stiles looks at her Dad and he’s stating their argument on his face at her. “Why didn’t you say something, pup?”

 

“We thought you were angry at him.” Isaac answered, looking sad and pushing his nuggets around. Stiles runs her fingers through her hair and smiles at her children.

 

“If you two wanted to see him, you could have told me. It doesn’t matter if I’m angry or happy with him. What matters and what’s important is what you two want and need.” Stiles tells them, Isaac looks up at her, eyes shining and his lips twitching in a smile, Erica does the same, beaming up at her.

 

“So we can see him today?” they say together. Stiles huffs with a fond smile and nods at them.

 

“Let me get my keys.” John laughs as he gets up from his seat and heads for the door. Both kids cheer loudly and try to hop off their chairs when Stiles stops them.

 

“Oh no you two, you still have food on your plates. How ‘bout we finish what we started _then_ you can destroy your play room upstairs.” Stiles wiggles a finger at them. The share a look in-between each other and giggle as they sit back in their seats.

 

Stiles sighs. If she has to hide her wolf’s feelings for Derek, okay _her own god damn_ feelings for their teacher, then she will for them.

 

* * *

 

 

The kids are playing in their playroom and Stiles is picking up blankets and random toys that got to the first floor when her front doors open.

 

“Her mother had this idea that she’d raise al of our family in this house, but of course.” Stiles hears john, she’s over by her library opening the extra treasure box, and her senses are suddenly aware of Derek, and everything around him.

 

Derek smells nervous, comfortable and most importantly he smells of _safety_.

 

“It’s a beautiful home.” Derek answers, Stiles can hear him chuckle with the tight nervousness. Stiles almost forgets that she needs to come out from where she is and greet her guest before her pups attack him. She pops out into the living room and see’s Derek looking up and around the wide spaces before his eyes land on her. Stiles tries not to let her heart flutter at the smile that appears on his stupid scruffy face.

 

“Hi, uh, Derek.” she says, because she’s obviously still sixteen years old.

 

“Hi,” Derek nods, “I didn’t know if . . .” Derek trails off as he lifts up a cake in his hands, Stiles shakes her head and smiles, because Derek brought them cake.

 

“Its okay, the kids haven’t had any sweets all day so they can have some.” She answers, John is smiling so wide from over Derek’s shoulder that Stiles face heats up and she fake coughs and stares down at her bare feet.

 

And speaking of kids, their playing as stopped and their quiet mumbling as ceased,  “I’ll take this. Kids are you going to say hi to our guest?” John calls as he takes the cake from Derek and makes his way into the kitchen.

 

The kids run out of the play room and storm their way down the stairs and Stiles has a heart attack, “Please don’t run down the—I tell you two to be careful on the staircase and what’s the first thing you do, you give me a heart attack.” Her pups don’t look the slightest bit guilty as they hug Derek’s legs, Derek chuckles and rubs their heads.

 

There’s a warm blooming in Stiles’ heart, something that usually happens when she’s in the library reading one of those ridiculous romance novels. She shakes of the feeling and smiles at the scene if front of her.

 

“So I’m here.” Derek says, glances up at Stiles then looking back the kids. Isaac nods and steps back from his legs, Erica following behind him.

 

“Want to see the rest of our house?” They say together. Derek chuckles and looks over at Stiles.

 

“If you mother says it’s okay.”

 

They both look at Stiles, their tiny faces screaming _please mommy, pleases._ Stiles shakes her head and puts her hands at her hips, “Is the room clean?” she asks, Erica glances at Isaac then they nod. There’s a blimp in their hearts and Stiles raises a brow, “If you promise not to lie again you can.”

 

They nod their heads frantically at her. “Okay, go wild. Stay out of mommy’s room okay.” Stiles waves at them. They each take Derek’s fingers and start tugging at him. Derek sends a _help me_ look and Stiles just shrugs at him as they head up stairs.

 

She heads into the kitchen following the scent of orange mint cake to see that her dad has already served himself a small plate. He looks up at her from his plate and smiles smugly at her.

 

“He brings out your happy, kid.” He says, “Cake brings out my happy. So we’re both happy. Let’s eat cake and be happy together. Yeah?” he offers.

 

“That may be so, but—,” her words are cut short as John feeds her some of the cake and Stiles almost swoons from its taste. The texture just melts on her tongue, John smiles at her and holds his piece away from her.

 

“Get your own piece.” He teases. Stiles sticks her tongue out at him and as she’s slicing a piece for herself when the mumbles and words come to life.

 

Derek is holding Isaac in his arms and Erica is jumping at his side as they walk up. Derek’s smiling and laughing, and honestly he looks like he belongs with them, like he’s been there for years. Stiles stutters a little and clears her throat and focuses on the cake.

 

“Cake! Mommy can we have cake too!” Erica beams, she dances her way to Stiles side.

 

“Sure, take your seats and I’ll bring you some.” Stiles laughs.

 

“With milk mommy?” Isaac asks from Derek’s arms, wiggling out of his grip, Derek chuckles and sets him down and he runs off to his seat.

 

“Yes, with milk.” Stiles answers, John hands her four plates and Stiles serves them all even slices of the cake. Derek looks contemplative for a minute before he takes his and leans against the island.

 

“My mother bakes cakes, so I hope—,”

 

“Where has she been hiding this god send?” John asks. Derek looks over his shoulder at him and looks confused for a moment before he smiles.

 

“I take it its okay.”

 

“Are you kidding?” Stiles says with a forkful to her lips, “Dad had it on the money, this is a god send.” Derek smiles small and private at Stiles and taking a bite of his own cake.

 

“May I have milk Mommy?” Isaac ask, Stiles is reminded and jumps to work, john kicks the fridge open and Stiles grabs the milk.

 

So Stiles was laughing and talking and feeling like this is what she’s waited for. Like this was the relief in the her story. John left around eight, saying goodnight to his grandchildren and telling Derek to take care patting his shoulder and not so subtly whispering that he take care of Stiles and the kids. John kisses Stiles’ forehead and heads off with a smile.

 

They are currently in the living room, Erica asleep on Derek’s lap and Isaac asleep on Stiles’, Beauty and the beast was playing on her flat screen that Scott insisted she get. It seemed pointless, but know that she watches the movie she’s thankful and she’ll tell him that later.

 

The silence between both of them wasn’t weird or uncomfortable. It was actually comfortable and calming, that it until Derek cleared his throat quietly and shifted in his seat causing his hand to brush hers. She didn’t mean to flinch away, and she didn’t mean to smell of fear.

 

“Sorry.” Derek said.

 

Stiles shook her head and set her hand back down, she had to think about what her dad told her, think about what that would mean and how she’d eventually have to stop reacting like every moving thing was going to hurt her.

 

“I, I lived in Atlanta for eight years and half.” She blurts out, quiet as to not wake the kids. She smiles down at Isaac as he turns and curls in to her, “I met this guy and everything was great . . . the first year.”

 

“Stiles you—,”

 

Stiles meets his eyes and just looks at him, Derek stops and swallows. “At first if was verbal, Y’know names and things that stick to you even though you play them off. But then he got physical.” Stiles looks away from Derek’s unmoving gaze.

 

“I wasn’t allowed to visit my family, I wasn’t allowed to do anything really. I found I was pregnant a week or two after my eighteenth birthday. He, uh, he didn’t try anything during my pregnancy.” Stiles can hear Derek’s breath and smell his relief. She takes a deep breath and touches a tentive hand at Isaac’s hair. “His mother kept calling them sins. He wouldn’t defend them. I didn’t expect him too. They stayed away from my nursery and the kids. It was always dark in there and I never left the room, not once.” Stiles chokes on her breath just a little, holding back her fear.

 

“Why didn’t you—,”

 

“I couldn’t. I had nowhere to go with twin newborns. I stayed until they turned five.” Stiles admits. There’s a silence and Stiles can feel the question in the air.

 

“Do they—?” Derek starts, Stiles looks at him and gives a weak smile.

 

“Yeah, they remember, They remember him. Erica sometimes asks me if I loved her daddy.”

 

“Do you?” Derek’s eyes are uncertain and open, Stiles stares at them, into them. She feels like getting lost and staying that way in his gaze. She suddenly feels this moment of clarity where that question doesn’t hurt to answer, where she can say what she feels and not get hit for it.

 

“No.” she answers, there’s relief in both their faces after that. Derek is then a lot closer then she remembers him being, and Stiles doesn’t know if its her heart beating wildly or Derek’s, but she doesn’t care. Derek is inching closer, his hand is lifting up to her cheek, grazing his fingers to her skin and for once Stiles doesn’t feel repulsed or like pulling away.

 

“Are you going to kiss mommy?” comes Isaac’s voice. Stiles pulls away and looks down at him.

 

“You’re awake? Its time for bed, let’s get you upstairs, okay?” Stiles hums glad that her kids don’t quiet understand what a blush is and adjusts him in her arms as she stands up. Derek does the same with Erica and follows her up the staircase.

 

They set them down and tuck them in their blankets. Stiles kisses them both and leads Derek out of their room.

 

“I’m glad you could come over, the reall—,” she’s stopped by Derek’s warm lips, and as surprised as she is, she doesn’t pull away. Derek’s lips feel like home, like safety and comfort. She melts into him. Pushing to her room down the hall of Isaac’s and Erica’s room; Derek hums into her lips, keeping his kisses chaste and sweet against her lips.

 

Her door is open, magically so. And their backwards walking into her room; Derek pulls away from her and examines her room.

 

His eyes lock on to the large window that lets the moon light in and Stiles looks over as well. “I don’t like the dark.” She admits.

 

Derek’s hands slip to her arms and he connects their foreheads, “Would you like to stay?” Stiles asks. Derek doesn’t answer, he simply smiles in the moonlit room and Stiles takes that and her heart runs a mile.

 

Stiles pulls away from him and tells him she wants to get changed, “My dad, I know I’m sorry, keeps a pair of pj bottoms here so you can use those.” Stiles tells him with a tentive smile. Derek nods back with a smile at her, she turns around to shuffle through her drawers looking for said bottoms “Ah,” she said as she pulls them out. She wipes around and Derek’s holding his shirt in his hands and wow.

 

“You’re a teacher?” Stiles blurts, her blush working its way from her neck all over her face. Derek huffs with a smile.

 

“Would you like to wear it?” he asks, holding his shirt to her, Stiles takes a moment to look away from Derek’s chiseled abs and sculpted _everything_ too look at his offered shirt. Stiles reaches for it and trades with him.

 

“Isaac always tells Erica that sharing is caring.” She laughs, Derek laughs with her. Stiles holds the shirt to her and points to the master bathroom, “I’m going to—yeah okay, I’ll be right back.” She rushes into the bathroom and shuts the door behind her. Because _oh my god_! Their kids teacher is in her house, in her bedroom looking like Captain America and actually wants to sleep with her. Not _sleep_ with her, but sleep next to her, in the same bed. _Oh my god._

Stiles makes quick work and sheds her clothes, she doesn’t think twice about the fact that she took off her bra and slipped the shirt on, because she can be an adult about this, totally. She slips off her jeans and lets Derek’s tent of a shirt dress her. She looks at herself in the mirror and nods. She’s opening her door as she ties her hair up (Its not fun when you try sleeping with it loose, you get knots and knots and more importantly _knots._ ) Derek is sitting at the edge of her eastern king sized bed. He’s facing the window and Stiles can see the dips and curves of his body.

 

Stiles walks over and takes a seat next to him, “When I can’t sleep I’ll lay on the ground and just bathe in the moon light.”

 

Derek huffs and looks at her, honest to good _looks_ at her,  “Somehow I can believe that.” He leans forward and brushes his forehead and nose to Stiles’. Stiles is hoping for another kiss but that’s when Derek is tugging her up and pulling her comforter and sheets away and helping her down. Once she’s on her side Derek makes quick work and gets on his side. He pulls in close and gazes at her.

 

“Is it okay if I—,”

 

Stiles just push into him, pushing herself into his chest and Derek wraps his arms around her. Stiles for once isn’t scared of the dark shadows, isn’t scared that Matt will appear and she can finally let her bruises heal.


	7. Strangers like us. There are others? Other then Grandpa and Uncle Scott?

Stiles feels the warm morning sun on her back, she feels the soft sheets at her legs and arms flush and secur— wait, what?

 

Stiles' eyes snap open and she is met with a bare olive tan broad chest. She takes a breath and is sighing out as she remembers who is holding her, Derek Hale, her twin's school teacher. You'd think she'd move away or wake him up and tell him to leave, but she moved closer. Snuggling closer to the warm body flushed against her.

 

She doesn't want to wake up, she really doesn't but of course that's when Isaac pushes the door open just enough for him to stand in the door way.

 

"Mommy...?" Isaac calls, that's the _'I woke up and I now want to cuddle with you until Erica wakes up_ ' voice. Stiles is surprised when Derek is the one to shuffle and turn slightly to face Isaac. Stiles can hear Isaac's heart beat spike up and his excitement fill the room. "Mr. Hale!" Isaac says gleefully.

 

Stiles hears Derek shush him with a chuckle, Stiles figures he called him over because then Isaac is pawing his way up on her bed and in between them. Stiles smiles and takes her son in her arms, cuddling him as close to her as she was to Derek.

 

Derek places his right arm back over them, resting his hand lightly on her hip. His thumb was stroking small circles at the dimple of her back rumbling pleasantly around them. Isaac is warm and small between them, sighing happily as he settles in.

 

They stay like that for a good ten minutes before Erica pads in, she’s rather quiet about, she does pause in her walking when she notices That Stiles and Isaac are not the only ones in the bed. But her heart thumps excitedly in her chest as she runs to the bed. She makes her way under Derek’s arm and settles between Isaac and Derek. Stiles just sighs in the comfort and the happiness that radiates off them.

 

Stiles looks up from Isaac and notices Derek’s soft gaze on her, and when Stiles tries to shy away from it Derek’s hand that’s been resting under his head comes up and brushes random stands of hair out of her face. She stares back at Derek, at his pale hazel eyes and his bed hair, Stiles can’t place the feeling of seeing Derek. _Feeling_ him there in ways she’s never felt anyone before. Its new and a little scary but she thinks she’ll survive this one.

 

They get out of bed shortly after, Erica was getting fussy and Isaac’s stomach was growling. Stiles was laughing the whole time because when Isaac’s stomach growled, Derek’s eyes widened and he looked from Isaac back to Stiles like he wasn’t sure what he just heard. Stiles sends her kids into their play room as she stretches out of bed, Derek tried to follow her into the bathroom and she just laughs out this nervous laugh and tells him to wait for his shirt. And Stiles, because she’s feeling exceptionally giddy, she hands it back to him before she heads into the shower, holding the door to her so Derek wouldn’t see anything but her arm and flushed face.

 

Stiles, after a good shower, feeds her pups pancakes and bacon because Erica says bacon is good for their soul, or something like that. Derek is working around her with their breakfast and coffee. They talk, all four of them, talking about dreams and TMNT. Derek whispers adult like conversations in between all giggles and general excitement.

 

Isaac and Erica settle in the living room watching Tarzan after they’ve finished their breakfast. Stiles and Derek are in the dinning room eating their meal.

 

“They’re a handful.” Derek admits with a smile as he leans forward, his elbows resting on the table, Stiles laughs and nods. Erica and Isaac are more than a handful. Derek’s lucky he didn’t get to see them during their terrible twos.

 

“Yeah, They keep my on my toes. Really, they can walk in here with some off the wall question and I wouldn’t be less surprised.” Stiles answers with a fond smile, she takes a sip of her coffee and hums. Erica comes in then and stands where they can both see her. Her brows are frowned and she’s griping her Pj dress at her thighs. Stiles shifts in her seat “Erica, What’s wrong?” Stiles asks.

 

Isaac walks in behind her then and offers this huge sigh like he just doesn’t know what to do. Stiles is off her chair and kneeling in front of her kids, running her hands on their shoulder and their heads.

 

“What’s a matter, pups?” She asks a little more concerned, she hears Derek stand from his seat, but that’s as far as she pays attention to him, Isaac watches Derek from over Stiles’ shoulder and Erica meets Stiles’ eyes.

 

“We want to meet strangers like us.” Isaac says for his sister. Stiles’ brows knit together in confusion and  she tilts her head just slightly, she looks between both kids. Isaac makes grabby hands for Derek and Derek lifts him up in his arms, Stiles stands and picks Erica up, sitting her on the kitchen island.

 

“What do you mean?” Stiles asks. Erica seems to frown again and Isaac is playing with the collar of Derek’s returned shirt.

 

“Like Tarzan. We want to see other wolves.” Erica grumbles like she’s going to get in trouble or already is in trouble for saying that. Stiles’ slowly makes sense of what Erica says and nods slowly at them.

 

“You want to see other wolves.” She repeats, “You see grandpa and Uncle Scott.” Stiles looks between them.

 

Derek then nods. “You’ve seen the other pups in our class.”

 

Isaac and Erica start to shake their heads like Derek and Stiles are just not _getting it._ “No, No. We want to _see_ other wolves Mommy. Strangers.” Erica explains which does nothing to help Stiles make sense of what her children are asking.

 

“You want to meet _strangers?_ ” Stiles asks even more confused. Isaac shakes his head this time; Erica sighs and plants her tiny hands against her face like she’s frustrated that Stiles doesn’t get it. Stiles knows where Erica gets that from and it just means that Stiles needs to stop doing that.

 

“ _Mommy!_ We want to see other wolves like Mr. Hale.” Isaac steams out. Erica is nodding and looking at her brother.

 

“Yeah! He smells like other wolves, like a lot of people. We want to see other wolves.” Erica says like they’ve manage to explain everything. And they have, Stiles lets out and _oh_ and looks at Derek. He doesn’t seem to have caught on so Stiles sighs just a little.

 

“They want to meet a pack.” Stiles tells him, Stiles see the light come on in Derek’s eyes and he looks at Isaac and Stiles turns her attention to them. “You two want to meet another _pack_ of werewolves. Where there’s more than just the three of us. Or even Grandpa and Uncle Scott.”

 

Erica and Isaac nod frantically and Stiles takes a deep breath, and before she gets a chance to tell them that there really isn’t a way for her to show them or introduce them to another pack Derek starts talking.

 

“You can meet my family.”

 

Stiles blinks at him in surprise, Derek shrugs and sets Isaac down next to Erica, “I’ve got cousins about as old as you two, maybe you’d like to meet them.”

 

“Can we? Really, can we?” Erica and Isaac beam as they look from Stiles to Derek. Stiles thinks about it, and really Isaac and Erica haven’t known what _Pack_ really was. They know Stiles, Scott and John are family, but they don’t really understand what pack _feels_ like.

 

Back in Atlanta, their pack mates didn’t play with them, refused to even look at them. Stiles remembers one cloudy afternoon when Matt’s family was in the backyard and Stiles and her cubs where allowed out of the nursery. Erica was learning to crawl so she’s trying and wiggle on her stomach, Isaac was napping beside her when Stiles suddenly can’t hear Erica’s heartbeat. Stiles ran out from the kitchen to find Matt’s youngest sister hovering over Erica’s little body.

 

She pressed a foot on Erica’s back and smiled down at her something cold and twisted in her features. When Stiles growled she only pressed harder, Erica whimpered unable to shift to escape or even attack. Stiles lunged at her gripping her neck in her clawed hand and tossing her hard to the opposite wall, Stiles picked both her cubs up and ran back into the nursery.

 

Stiles was later smacked for being disorderly.

 

“Stiles?” Derek’s voice is gentle and it popped her out of her thoughts, she blinks at her pups then looks at Derek, his brows are slightly frowned and he seems to be worried.

 

“What—What?” She stutters out.

 

“I wanted to know if it was okay with you. Letting them meet my family.” He asks, Stiles looks at her kids, there’s a dark thought that tells her this could hurt them, maybe even _kill_ them. But then Derek smiles at Isaac and Erica, he smiles at them and ruffles Isaac’s hair. Stiles see’s Derek back in her bedroom, sleeping soundlessly next to her, his arms tight around her.

 

“If it’s okay with your family.” Stiles finally says, Erica and Isaac cheers and bounce from where their seated, Derek is smiling back her, looking as happy as her pups are.

 

“They won’t mind at all.” Derek tells her, a huge grin on his face like he just won the noble prize or something.

 

Stiles sends the pups to get dressed accordingly, Derek and her wait downstairs for them. Stiles take the moment to actually talk to Derek about this. Because Stiles can’t just rush into this, she—it doesn’t matter what her father tells her, she does have Erica and Isaac to think about—gazes up at Derek he turns a smile towards her.

 

“Is this really okay? I mean, its not that I—Okay, I worry. But I just—I need to know if its—,”

 

“Safe?” Derek adds for her. Stiles a little guilty and ashamed looks down at her hands she hears Derek’s answering chuckle, “I understand, Stiles. There is no safer place.” He tells her, Stiles snaps her attention back up at him, because he has to be mistaken, there is a— “Expect here with you, and the Sheriff.” Derek amends. Stiles nods at him and her twins come flying down the steps.

 

“Pups, please. Do me this one favor and don’t run down the steps.” She shakes her head at them, but it’s no use, they have these huge grins on their lips and their eyes are shut as they smile and giggle up at her. “Okay, well let me get my bag and we’ll head out.” Before Stiles goes to the kitchen to stock Isaac and Erica’s snacks in her bag, Derek grabs her arms and looks a little contemplative.

 

“Can— Do you, uh would you like to ride with me in the Camaro?” Derek asks. His eyes a little unsure and his eyebrows frowning like he doesn’t know if it was okay to ask. Stiles has to laugh because this is probably the first time someone has asked her if she wants a ride in _their_ car. She takes Derek’s hand and gives it a tight squeeze.

 

“You have to move their car seats.” Stiles nods at her twins with a smile. Derek looks positively ecstatic, he kisses Stiles’ hand.

 

“Alright, C’mon pups, let’s move your car seats.” Derek announces as he herds the pups to the front doors. Erica looks up at him questioningly.

 

“To where?” she asks.

 

“Yeah, where?” Isaac chimes.

 

“My car.” Derek answers with a smile, Isaac shares a look and their shouting their excitement past the door and Stiles shakes her head and goes to get her bag ready.

 

* * *

 

 

Derek should have thought this one through.

 

He can feel that his pack knows there are other wolves with him in his car when he parks. Erica and Isaac are happily unaware, pointing out the orange trees that spread out into the side of the house and disappear by the forest tree line. Stiles on the other hand is gripping Derek’s center console and looks like she might have a major panic attack.

 

Its Saturday and Derek can see the most of his family is here, he knows for a fact that Laura is here along with her husband and kids. Well Derek should have really thought this one through.

 

Derek parks the Camaro and  bumps his hand to Stiles’, she flinches slightly but doesn’t pull away, when she meets his eyes and Derek sees the familiarity seep in she relaxes and Derek takes her hands in his. He pulls it up to his lips and hum as he takes a breath of her orange-mint scent.

 

“I’ll go in first, then I’ll come get you.” Derek whispers into her knuckles. Stiles stares at him for a moment before she nods. Derek kisses her knuckles then heads out of the car, he hears Erica and Isaac ask if they can get out yet and Stiles tries to explain to them why they can’t yet.

 

He’s shut the door and heading for the main entrance, and nonce there he opens the front door to see that almost everyone is standing in the break between the   kitchen and the living room. Their staring at him wide-eyed, expect for his Uncle Peter who seems more amused them anything else.

 

“She has pups with her.” Is the first thing out of Derek’s mouth, “They’re— _God_ they’re amazing. Just relax, please.” Derek finishes. Trying to assure everyone, Kale is the first to step forward, there’s a side smile as he holds his own daughter in his arms.

 

“She the one we uh—,” Kale doesn’t finish because Derek nods and everyone is looking between them that Derek feels the slightest bit of pressure.

 

“Her story to tell, I brought them here because her twins wanted too—,” Derek pauses and huffs with a smile, “ _Meet strangers like them._ ”

 

Laura whose been hiding behind Kale pops out with a smile, “Oh they sound positively beautiful. Don’t keep them waiting, go on and get them.” Laura encourages. Derek looks for his mother when he finds her there’s a smile soft and bright on her lips and she nods at him.

 

Derek comes back with Stiles and her pups. Erica is holding Stiles’ hand, while Isaac is in Derek’s arms sitting comfortable against Derek’s hip bone. When Derek leads them in there’s a gasp from his family then everyone looks on in awe from where they’re standing.  At least that what it looked like to Derek, purified awe; Talia moves through the crowd and Stiles ducks her head.

 

“Oh, child. There’s no need for that.” She says quietly, and Derek can see the sadness in his mother’s eyes, the sadness where she can already tell that Stiles’ has been through some shit. “I’m Talia Hale.”

 

“Stiles, Stiles Stilinski,” Stiles looks up sheepishly, “This is Erica, and that’s Isaac.” Stiles introduces; Erica is wiggling behind her mother and Isaac is looking down at Derek’s collar where his fingers are playing. Talia kneels down in front of Erica and Stiles watches carefully.

 

“Hello, Erica. You are very beautiful.” Talia smiles at her, Erica meets Talia’s eyes and she beams at her.

 

“Thank you Mrs. Hale.”

 

“Grandma, sweetheart, you can call me grandma.” Talia laughs, Erica giggles and is about to go for a hug when she pauses and looks up at Stiles who in turn looks at Talia. Derek’s new found love for his family comes when Talia opens her arms wide and Erica fuckin’ jumps at her in a hug.

 

Stiles is even laughing too, her face is a bit flushed and her shoulders are starting to droop just slightly. Derek in turn introduces them all to Stiles and her pups. Expect Peter, whose still got this creepy look in eyes, like he knows something Derek doesn’t know.

 

Stiles talks with Kale and his wife, admiring their cub and telling them about raising two werewolf cubs on her own. She doesn’t tell them about the dark nursery she’s told Derek about. She doesn’t slip and tell them about being stuck there for years with no way out. But she does tell them Erica’s first word, when Isaac first learned to crawl, and Erica’s first run.

 

Their sitting down for diner and Derek can feel it, he knows that shit is about to hit the fan. He can feel that most of his family has figured it out, how Stiles is a single werewolf parent, how Stiles still smells of fresh bruises. And it happens during diner, because what better time to fuck something up them during diner, right.

 

Derek is sitting with Stiles on his right side. They’ve settled the children in the living to eat they’re meals and watch whatever cartoon is on. Derek smiles to himself every time he see’s Stiles steal glances that way to check on them, how she not so subtly leans in her chair and looks in that direction. Even Talia found it worth smiling about.

 

Everyone else is settling from laughing at Derek’s first _everything_ moments when it gets quiet and it had to be Peter to speak up from the silence.

 

“So Stiles,” Peter wipes his mouth, and looks up from his plate, “We’ve talked about the rest of us, we’d like to know, when did Isaac and Erica first shift?”

 

Stiles freezes in her spot, her hand going still over her plate and her eyes looking down at it. Derek glares at Peter, because if he were to growl he’d scare Stiles and that’s the last thing he wants to do, so he glares and Peter just raises his brows at him. Genevieve, Peter’s wife, smacks him and Talia does a quick show of her eyes.

 

“Erica, she—,”

 

“Stiles you don’t have—,” Derek starts but Stiles meets his eyes and Derek see it, the look of failure the look of total and utter disappointment in herself.

 

“Erica hasn’t shifted. She hasn’t gotten past extending her claws and fangs.” Stiles doesn’t look away from Derek’s eyes, she’s focused on him and if that’s what’s helping her answer, then Derek reaches out takes her hand from underneath the table. “Isaac shifted once. But he hasn’t shifted since then.” Stiles squeezes Derek’s hand and he does the same.

 

“I know the shift comes naturally born wolves, so tell me, Stiles what is holding them back?” Peter hums, “And you, My Dear, have you shifted recently? Or _can_ you shift at all?”

 

“Peter!” Derek growls, Stiles winces slightly, her hand sort of pulls from his but she’s locked her fingers back tightly to them. Like he was keeping her grounded; Derek is glaring hard at Peter, even Genevieve isn’t butting in to stop Derek. Kale whose sitting next to his wife and their father, huffs.

 

“Manners. I’m not saying mom failed at them, because look, Derek can eat without getting his food on his shirt. But Uncle, you’re crossing some lines here.” Kale tosses his napkin on the table and leans forward.

 

“I’m only getting what needs to be said out on the table, Nephew.” Peter answers. “There isn’t any harm in wanting to know about the wolves that have captured our Derek’s interest.”

 

“If she doesn’t want to talk about it, then she won’t. We can’t force her to answer quest—,”

 

“You are not old enough to dictate here, Child.” Peter dismisses. He focuses his attention back on Stiles and she tenses again, sliding closer to Derek and squeezing his hand, “So, feed my curiosity, Stiles.” He smiles, Stiles moves uncomfortably in her seat and looks down at their linked hands.

 

“Peter, leave her alone.” Gen whispers, she grips his shirt sleeve and she looks painfully ashamed of what’s happening. Peter doesn’t pay her any attention, simply smiles over at Stiles and Derek.

 

“Tell me, where is their father?”

 

“That’s enough Peter!” Talia growls, its deep and the children in the other room start to whimper; Derek’s father heaves a sigh and gets up from the table. Derek moves to shield Stiles from his mother, he meets her eyes and she gives him this look of painful understanding.

 

“We all are dying to know, because here you are and you seem to be—,”

 

Peter doesn’t get another word in because Stiles has let go of Derek’s hand and is hitting her hands to the table and standing form her chair.

 

There it is, the smell of a mother protecting her cubs, the scent of an angry werewolf mother. Derek can hear Isaac and Erica’s small whimpers from the other room at Stiles growl. She meets Peter’s curious eyes.

 

“Fine." Stiles' hands are splayed out on the table supporting her, Derek can see the tremble working on her arms to her shoulders. Her head is lowered so she doesn't look anyone in the eye, her hair falling in thick shiny threads shielding her face from them. Derek suddenly wants to shield her and his— _her_ — children from Peter's prying questions, and if that might cost him his family, Derek’s willing to risk it for them.

 

But Stiles speaks up, "You want to know, fine." Stiles raises her eyes and stares Peter down.

 

"I moved away from Beacon Hills when I was sixteen. I went to college and fell in love with an alpha. He verbally abused me until I turned seventeen. He raped me repeatedly for a year until I found out I was pregnant." Stiles looks down at her children then growls at Peter.

 

Derek's family is suddenly on edge and Derek feels them ready to attack. And what scares him isn't that he thinks they'd attack Stiles. No, they’re going to attack Peter. "He didn't hit me during my pregnancy. Though verbal abuse continued from there until after I gave birth, a month earlier then my due date."

 

Stiles pauses and Derek see's her falter in her strong stance. She's forcing too much, Derek gets off his chair, forcing it back a few inches and he works his way to her opposite side. Derek whispers next to her, letting her know that he's going to touch her. When he places his hands on her shoulders for support, she doesn't fight him.

 

"I— they are my _life_. They are beautiful wolves and I'm raising them on my _own_. I _have been_ raising them on my own their entire _life_. All they know is me!" Stiles growls, "I don’t want that poor excuse for a mutt to find me and my kids. He doesn’t exist to them. But for you to pry so willingly into my past and make so clear that I've failed them—," Stiles grips her water glass and tosses its contents in Peter's face. If this wasn't a moment where Derek was worried for everyone’s throat, he would’ve laughed.

 

"Even werewolves deserve their own ignorance." Stiles snarls with one last look at Peter whose wiping his face with his napkin. "My pups and I have over stayed our welcome, Mrs. Hale I'm sorry for any disrespect. And thank you for the meal." Stiles bows her head then looks Talia in the eyes before tensing in Derek’s hold and working out of his arms.

 

Stiles walks to the living room and takes a hold of Erica's hand and Isaac latches to Erica's free hand. Derek gives one last look at his Uncle before he leads Stiles and the twin's back to the Camaro. He gets all three settled in and tells them he forgot something and makes a quick run inside.

 

His family is quietly picking up and moving around silently as they pick up the mess of diner. The children were sent to their rooms upstairs to get ready for bed. When Derek meets them all in the kitchen he feels a little ashamed.

 

"Her pups wanted to come here because they wanted to know what a _pack_ was. Because they didn’t grow up in one like we, like _us_ have." Derek starts, "I could almost smell the way Stiles was hoping everyone would just leave her past alone. I could see the light when she talked to Kale about newborns." Laura opens her mouth and Derek stops her. "Most of you aren't to blame for _speaking_. But for letting it just lay out there on the table— I can't believe none of your tried to speak up for her and her pups."

 

“Derek we—Peter is unpredictable, especially with stranger.” Laura tries to explain, and its true, since Kate Peter’s never liked strangers, he’s always on a close watch because Kate’s messed with his psyche and it’s just beyond repair. But that’s no excuse for him to treat Stiles like she wasn’t the beautiful wolf she is.

 

“That’s no excuse, Laura.” Derek shakes his head, then meets Peter’s eyes, “You want to know why she hasn’t shifted, Peter. She refuses to shift because her pups _can’t._ ”

 

There’s a gasps that comes from someone, and Derek’s not paying attention because he’s facing Peter, who seems to lock away that information somewhere.

 

“She’s terrified. I don’t know about what or even who.” Derek now looks at everyone, “But I was told to save her.”

 

“Der—,”

 

“I’m trying to do that, _for them._ ” Derek finishes with a look to Kale, Talia looks at him with deep understanding eyes but she doesn’t say a word after that.

 

Derek turns tail and heads for the door. He can already smell the salt from tears in the direction of his car. Derek heaves a sigh because look at what they did, look at how they've managed to open every wound she's ever had and have her shut everyone out again. Derek gets to the car and he's opening his door, when Kale comes running out behind him.

 

"What do you—," Kale doesn't acknowledge him, just jogs up to the passenger window and leans down so he's down in front of it. He taps the glass with his knuckle, just slightly and Stiles rolls the window down.

 

Derek sighs again and gets in the car, he's buckled in and turning on the engine when Kale starts talking.

 

"You, you and your pups are amazing people." He says to Stiles, "We-- I'm sorry, on behave of them, and we'd-- we would like to see you again. To start over, we weren't expecting Peter to, uh, well, I'm personally really sorry about him. Aunt Gen is nearly ripping his throat out in there." Kale offers a smile and some small laugh, but Stiles is trying her best to look unaffected, wiping her eyes and looking down at her lap. "If it’s okay with you, we’d like a second chance at meeting you and your twins."

 

“Mommy,” Isaac calls from the back seat, “Mommy, why do you smell sad?” Stiles freezes in her seat. And suddenly Derek’s pissed, beyond pissed. Because here Derek thought Stiles would be angry, pissed even at Derek’s family. But no, she’s _sad._ Sad for some reason unknown to Derek.

 

“Mommy’s not sad, pup.” Stiles turns in her seat and smiles at him. Derek sees from the rearview that Isaac is shaking his head at her.

 

“Mommy, you told us lying is bad. Why are you lying?” Erica asks for her brother. Derek then looks at Kale, hoping he can read the _Does-this-look-like-she-can’t-raise-her-own-goddamn-kids -to-you_ look. Kale looks back at him and mouths _I know._

Stiles lets out a breath then really, honestly smile at her pups, “Your right, lying is bad, and if you can’t lie . . . ,”

“You can’t either.” Erica and Isaac chime in together.

 

Stiles laughs with a nod, “That’s right. Mommy can’t lie either.” Stiles looks back at Derek, those crystal clear auburn eyes, her irises like pools of warm whiskey staring into his soul. Derek’s breath does catch and he seems to have forgotten how to breathe.

 

The tension in her shoulders seep out and she takes his hand like Erica when she’s trying to sneak a hold of his hand. Derek takes it and just hold to the cool of her hand against his.

 

“I’ll—I can think about it.” Stiles says, chancing a glance at Kale, Kale smiles at her and nods. Because that’s as good as an answer as he’s going to get from someone who was offered the third degree burn from their Uncle.

 

“Okay. Uh, until next time then.” Kale walks off and Derek sighs and starts to head out of the ranch. Stiles doesn’t let go of his hand, Erica and Isaac are talking to themselves about Derek’s cousin’s and how they played hide and seek and how they talked about their favorite cartoons. Derek sort of fades out in thought as he drives them back to their home, their den.

 

* * *

 

 

“There were six members, aside from Erica, Isaac and myself.” Stiles whispers to Derek in the dark of her bedroom. Her small frame cuddled into his side as they lay there. Derek is staring up at her ceiling, he wasn’t really expecting her to let him stay, let alone let him sleep next to her again.

 

“With . . . ,” Derek trails off, Stiles nods against his chest. Derek’s arm is wrapped around her, his hand settled warm against her hip and his thumb rubbing gently against the exposed pale skin.

 

“His little sister, she stepped on Erica when she was learning to crawl. There wasn’t any actual damage. She just pressed her foot to Erica’s back.” Stiles tells him. Derek doesn’t saying anything because he feels like he might be sick.

 

“They called them names, Erica and Isaac don’t really remember the abuse. They do remember their— _him._ ” Stiles whispers, Derek holds her closer.

 

Stiles doesn’t really sleep, she’ll cry while telling Derek small bits of her life until now, then she’ll sleep for a minute or so before she wakes up again looking for a threat that isn’t there. Derek just bares it there with her. He sometimes tells her small details of Kate, of what she did to him and his family. And though it isn’t anything like what Stiles went through, Stiles seems to accept him either way.

 

Stiles kisses him, she presses her lips to his and Derek doesn’t prompt it, just let’s her take control. Let’s her warmth seep into his bones and his being.  


	8. Stay With me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY! I did it, and I'm REALLY SORRY about all the mistakes, there is some confusing bits in this and that's because I have horrible planning skills. But I hope you enjoyed this chapter!

Derek spends a week going back and forth between his loft, school, and Stiles’ house. It was one night on a Friday a week later that Isaac called Derek _papa_ , Stiles wasn’t in the house when it happened, and Derek didn’t have the heart to correct Isaac. So he just made it seem like he didn’t hear it.

 

Derek at this point doesn’t know if he’s working into their lives, or if they’re working into his.

 

* * *

 

It’s another month into to this thing that Derek started with Stiles and her kids, and he’s actually home in his loft today. He’d just gotten home from grocery shopping, because he actually lives in his loft and he needs food when he’s here. Derek’s heart is suddenly beating miles at a second.

 

Derek was feeling it long before he heard it. He was in his kitchen putting away his groceries when his heart churned painfully in his chest and his stomach flipped inside out. Derek braced himself on his kitchen island as his legs trembled beneath him, his vision was blotchy lights and greys. He tried blinking a few times to regain his vision, but it wasn't working.

 

That's when he heard it, a howl so deep and sorrowful Derek's body collapsed onto his floor. _Stiles_.

 

Derek didn't waste his time, he gathered whatever strength he still had and ran out his door and to his car. Derek broke too many speeding limits to care; when he made it to the tree path way to Stiles' house, he could already see the lights shining red and blue.

 

 

Derek was parking the camaro when he caught sight of Scott and Jackson holding Stiles back, her growls vibrating everything around Derek. She was pulling against them and she looked broken, lost and _feral_. He was out of the car and making his way to her, her snapping stopped momentarily and she looked to him.

 

"Derek!" Her face was stained in tears, her irises a brilliant Beta gold and there were red blotchy patches along her cheeks. Scott let her go as did Jackson, she ran to him, crashing against him, almost knocking him over.

 

"What's going on here?" Derek asks as he takes a tight hold of Stiles. She's shaking so profoundly in his hold that he instinctively holds tighter.

 

A man Derek didn't recognize took a step forward and Stiles stiffened in his hold, Derek bit back a growl.

 

"Derek, this is Agent Harrison. He's with CPS." Parrish says, Derek glances at him as he makes his way from behind Scott. Derek does growl at that, what hell is going on? What are the child protective services doing here?

 

"What the hell is going on?" Derek repeats bitterly. Stiles shifts in his arms so she's facing Agent Harrison.

 

"He wants to take Isaac and Erica from me," Stiles hisses, "I won't let him in the house." She whispers to him, glaring at Harrison.

 

Derek does the same, "Why?" Derek asks.

 

"Matt Daehler has filed for sole custody of Isaac and Erica Stilinski, claiming his parental rights have been abused."

 

"He signed over his rights before they were born!" Stiles barks, trying to lunge at the man, but Derek holds her against him, "He's never loved them! And you want me to roll over and let you take my kids from me? Fuck you." Stiles is pulling and growling in Derek's hold, he can feel the strength of a thousand werewolves pulse throw her.

 

"Stiles we have to-" Scott tried but Stiles is already letting her fangs and claws elongate, she's beyond pissed and Derek can feel that.

 

"Stiles there's nothing we can do." Jackson tells her, concern deep and engraved on his face, Derek's only ever seen annoyance in Jackson's features, seeing him look so defeated makes Derek worry even more.

 

"I'll get the kids." Parrish sounds regretful and defeated.

 

"I'll help you." Scott sounds just as regretful.

 

"No, no. Parrish, Scott don't you- No you leave them- No!" Stiles' words muffled around her fangs as she screams after him, she's trying to break free from Derek's arms which only makes him hold tighter.

 

Her protest continues as she watches Scott follow Parrish inside the house. Shortly after they've disappeared into the house Lydia comes out looking pissed and annoyed, a look she's managed three times in front of Derek.

 

Jackson looks to her and she nods.

 

"Stiles," Jackson tries, "Stiles, The Martian's are going to watch over them."

 

Stiles is howling, and Derek doesn't know if his heart will last through this.

 

"Deaton is on his way." Lydia informs as she stands a few feet away from them.

 

Stiles' rage gets worse when Parrish and Scott walk out with Erica and Isaac in their arms, both of them reeking of fear and dread.

 

"No! Don't take my kids! Don't, _please_ don't!" Stiles howls, tugging in Derek's arms towards the twins, "Erica! Isaac! Please don't take them from me!"

 

Derek's heels are digging into the grass beneath them, Stiles tugs again causing them to end up on the ground with Stiles curled over and howling as the twins are placed in Harrison's car.

 

"Here's the address," Derek hears Lydia then see's her pass a small paper to Harrison.

 

"Not my kids! _Please_ , I'm _begging_ you! He'll kill them!" Stiles shouts completely human now, her pleads go unanswered, as Harrison gets in his car and drives away, "No, don't let him take them!"

 

"Stiles-"

 

"My pups! Don't let hi-!"

 

"Stiles! Listen to me!" Lydia is on the ground gripping Stiles' shoulders forcing her to look up into her green eyes, but Stiles is whimpering and shaking in Derek's tight embrace, shaking her head and crying, "My parents will watch them. Remember, Stiles?"

 

"Lloyd and Mary...," Stiles hiccups between whimpers.

 

"That's right; I'm Isaac's godmother, Stiles. I won't let the bastard take them."

 

"Lydia my- he can't do this!" Stiles' howls start up again and her heart starts beating so wildly that Derek feels it on his chest as he holds Stiles to him. "He's already taken them from me! I need to get them back! Please, I need the-"

 

"No, Stiles, stop it." Lydia says, looking completely unfazed and detached now. But Stiles doesn't stop, her crying is loud and it seems to shake the woods surrounding her home, Derek glances up to see Scott nod at Jackson and jump in his car, speeding off, followed by Parrish.

 

A different car shows up minutes later and a dark skinned man comes jogging their way, Derek growls because the last stranger that he came across in the last few hours took the twins.

 

"Stiles, Stiles I need you to calm down." The man says when he's close enough. Stiles doesn't listen, she snaps her teeth at him and growls.

 

"She won't, Alan. It will continue like this unless-" Lydia stops as Jackson falls to his knees beside her and gives Derek a look as he reaches for her arm.

 

"I need you to hold her legs and head, so we can sedate her." the dark skinned man, Alan, says calmly Derek nods slowly and works Stiles' legs out from under her with his own, forcing her back against him. He releases her right arm and quickly holds her head to his neck. She's growling with whimpers so desperate and broken, Derek tries to take some of the pain, even if he already feels it ten times over.

 

Jackson holds her arm steady and Alan wipes the surface of her paling skin and sticks the syringe in her arm. All the while Stiles was trying to kick free and nipping at what she could of Derek's collar bone.

 

Alan wipes the area again once he's pulled the syringe out, Jackson holds her arm up at an even length while Alan placed a small piece of gauze and wrapped it in a bind.

 

"It will itch and if I put a band aid she'll tear it off and claw at her skin. We want less damage done to her body." Alan said, Stiles began to weep quietly, her body trembling gently against him.

 

"My kids...," she whimpered, Derek loosened his hold on her, hugging her instead of restraining. "Derek, my-"

 

"I know. I know." Derek whispers into her hair as he strokes his hand down her hair, brushing it out of her face.

 

She's asleep not long after and everyone visibly relaxes, "let's get her inside." Lydia whispers, her eyes seemed misty and darker now. Jackson helps her up and Alan stands with a black bag in hand.

 

Jackson goes to help Derek but he waves him off, "I got her."

 

He nods and leads Alan and Lydia inside.

 

Derek shuffles Stiles around carefully until he's got her in his arms in a bridal carry. Then works his legs under him and pushing himself up to stand. Stiles wasn't heavy, and in his arms she looked smaller then she actually was.

 

Derek heads inside, walking past the kitchen where Lydia, Jackson and Alan were. He heads up stairs and makes a right, walking into Stiles bedroom. He lays her carefully, pulling a throw to cover her, he watches her shuffle until she finds a spot to lie in, and the burning flames of sorrow are now a dull ache tight in Derek's chest.

 

He kisses her forehead before he goes back down stairs to join the others.

 

When he does, they stare at him like they aren't sure what to do with themselves, expect for Alan. Who seems calm and not worried at all.

 

Derek feels like he doesn't know what to do either, he sighs and walks to the dining table, pulling a chair out and flopping down on it.

 

"She'll be asleep for awhile. I'll leave some sedatives if she has another panic." Alan says looking at Lydia who nods in return.

 

Before he heads out Alan looks at Derek and holds out his hand, "Alan Deaton."

 

"Derek Hale." Derek shakes his hand then Alan nods to himself and heads out the still opened front door.

 

Lydia collapses in a chair beside Derek while Jackson opens the fridge and pulls out three waters.

 

Handing one to Lydia then Derek; he nods his thanks as he takes it and sets it aside on the table.

 

"That rotten excuse for a werewolf will pay for this," Lydia growls out, low and threatening.

 

"Why would he want Isaac and Erica anyway?" Jackson asks as he leans against the kitchen island.

 

"To get to _her_ ," Derek says without thinking, he meets Lydia's eyes, "He wants her to suffer."

 

Lydia nods numbly and opens her water. "He knows she lives for those two. So taking them away from her-"

 

"Will kill her." Jackson finishes for her. Derek semi-nods, because that just means they have to keep a close watch on her, those two are her life, Derek's heard her talk about them. How she's protected them, how she's raised them on her own. Those two are her life, there's no other way of saying it.

 

"Stiles said he signed over his rights, we need those papers," Jackson says, "I'll head that way, I'll call you when I land."

 

He doesn't wait for Lydia's say, just runs out of the house; they hear the car start and speed off.

 

"He's going to Atlanta," Lydia whispers, "Stiles left some things there. Like a safe with all her medical records, and Isaac and Erica's birth certificates."

 

* * *

 

It was seven am now, Derek and Lydia haven't slept to scared that if they did Stiles would wake up and search for the twins.

 

Derek feels this thin thread wrapped tightly around his heart, tugging and cutting into his beating heart.

 

"You're Isaac's godmother." Derek says, not asking because he knows he heard right over all if Stiles snapping and growling.

 

"Yeah." Lydia answers solemnly from the kitchen, she's been busying her hands, though she looks like she's never done a house chore in her life, she's cleaning away at Stiles' kitchen.

 

"Parish is his godfather." Derek says flatly after awhile. There's a quiet hum from the kitchen and Lydia is suddenly walking into the living room and taking a seat on the couch.

 

"Who're Erica's god parents?" Asks Derek, Lydia heaves a breath and stares down at her warm yellow lap, she was in a cotton sun dress, Derek figured she had a day off when this all went down. Her hair was even up in a messy bun.

 

"Scott and Allison," Lydia exhales, "After they were born Stiles had the nurses write their godparents names in pen behind each birth certificate."

 

"To insure their safety," Derek nods.

 

"Of course we didn't know. Not until after she came back months ago." Lydia sighs and lets her head fall back against the couch.

 

Months ago? Derek thought. No, that isn't right, Stiles was here a year, wasn't she?

 

"She was here a year already." Derek states, Lydia huffs and lolls her head to look over at him.

 

"Honey, she just got back from Atlanta. If I remember correctly it was April eighteenth," Lydia offers a small cork of her lips. "Her birthday."

 

Derek was stock stiff, Stiles was just getting used to having people around her, just getting used to having her family, her blood care for her unlike those she's had to live with. Stiles had only gotten back into Beacon Hills four months ago, It was nearing the end of August.

 

The fresh bruises he remembers seeing were there because Stiles was struck by an alpha, and bruises from an alpha last weeks, months even. Depending on the emotional state of said werewolf.

 

Derek sits up from the lean he had on the couch, he feels like he might throw up.

 

Lydia's hand is there on his back, warm and gentle as she pats and rubs her comfort, human comfort.

 

"She told you a year, huh."

 

"Yeah," that's all they say to each other the rest of the morning. Because Derek fears if he opened his mouth to talk he'd throw up whatever was in his stomach, and Lydia was just quiet.

 

Jackson called around noon and told them he's picking up the safe, Lydia tells him to be careful the hangs up.

 

Derek goes up and is on the floor at the foot of Stiles' bed. Listening to her even breathing and soft snores as she mumbles and flinches in her sleep.

 

Derek knows it take a lot of sedative to keep a werewolf sleeping this long, and he mentally thanks Alan for it.

 

It isn't until four in the evening when Stiles stirs in her sleep.

 

"Pups-?" She calls, voice sleep heavy and hoarse.

 

Derek is up and on his feet getting to her side and watching her shift so she can sit up.

 

"D'rk?" She squints and wiggles her nose, Derek sits on the bed and offers his hand, Stiles reaches out and takes it, hold it tight, "The pups?" She asks, her eyes open and Derek can see the puffiness around them, Derek doesn't want to tell her, he doesn't want to be the reason her heart breaks all over again.

 

"Their-"

 

"Their with my parents." Lydia says as she walks into the room with a glass of water. Stiles frowns as she eyes Lydia.

 

"Wh- No...Lyds, no. They didn-" Stiles' voice leaves her in favor of whimpering and curling herself together as she recalls the night before. Derek feels it all in his chest, he whimpers alongside her. Her grip on his hand tightens as she cries on to her knees.

 

Lydia sets the glass on the night stand and leaves the room. Derek knows she didn't go far, he can hear her in the bathroom down the hall, choking back her sobs. Those who said humans can't feel the bond in a pack are wrong. Lydia feels everything just like Derek does. Though its stronger with her because she's been part of Stiles' pack longer then Derek.

 

"My kids, my pups...," Stiles cries and cries and cries. Somewhere in that time Derek ends up against the head board and Stiles curled against him, hiccupping and letting her tears soak his shirt. Lydia has long since pulled herself together and went back into the kitchen.

 

Stiles is asleep again, resting against Derek, only moving when Derek makes to shift his legs or arms. Lydia comes back to check on them, nodding when she sees that Stiles is asleep.

 

Derek hears her make a phone call and only catching the tail end of it, "-bring Scott with you."

 

Derek doesn't know what will happen if Stiles see's them now, she's reacted well to Derek and Lydia, but to look at Scott, to keep seeing him with Erica in his arms and setting her in Harrison's car. Derek wouldn't want to see anyone if that's what he kept seeing in his minds eye.

 

 

Derek worked out of Stiles' death grip on him and is down stairs calling his family to let them know. They ask if Stiles is alright, if she's eating, if she's being watched after. Derek answers their questions honestly, and tells them not to worry.

 

* * *

 

Parrish, Scott, Allison, John and Melissa show up around the next morning with bags of clothes and tins of food covered in tin foil. Derek smiles at them all because this is pack, they might not be together living under one roof, but they come together when their needed.

 

Stiles wakes up and comes downstairs around seven am when everyone is in the kitchen drinking coffee and snacking on cookies Melissa brought. Stiles stares at everyone and her hands come up to cover her mouth as she lets out an honest and grieving howl that everyone jumps out of their seats and are surrounding her in a group hug. Derek is standing off to the aide when John reaches out and drags him into the embrace.

 

The wolves rumble their comfort and the humans squeeze against whoever their stuck to. Their like that for awhile, Allison breaks first and tells everyone she's going to go pick up some movies and all the junk food imaginable. Melissa tags along with her.

 

Scott hugs Stiles a little longer and so does Parish. John is the one who pulls them apart and leads them into the living room.

 

"Have you slept?" John asks, Derek looks to him from setting the mugs in the sink. Derek shakes his head and John eyes him, "Lydia?" He asks, Derek shakes his head again.

 

Before John can ask another question or tell Derek to get some sleep, Derek rushes to the front door. When he pulls the french doors open his mother, father, Laura, Kale, Jo and her child, Gen, Cora, and finally Peter; are standing there with bags of clothes and tins full of food, looking at him like someone just died.

 

Derek's restless heart and tired body finally give up a little on him, his eyes get misty and his legs buckle as he lunges to hug his mother.

 

Stiles is walking quietly behind him, "It may not be much, but its home." She looks Talia in her eyes and smiles this weak tired smile. Talia nods and gives her a hug after hanging her bag over to Derek and rushing to Stiles.

 

Peter stands in front of her once everyone is inside and introducing themselves to Stiles' family. When Stiles averts her eyes, Peter lifts her chin gently "I'm a crude, yes, sometimes with good reason. But I never meant any harm and I apologize for my behaviour. You, Stiles, are stronger then anyone I've ever come across in my forty years."

 

Everyone was surprised, including Stiles, who smiled back at him, with a nod. "You're still really creepy." She told him and offers a hug, which he took and squeezed her like she was his own child.

 

The house was full of people, people that cared about Stiles, people that wanted to be involved, to help and protect her.

 

Derek fell asleep with Stiles sitting by his feet as she talked with Jo. He was lolled to sleep by the sound of her quiet voice as she told Jo about when Erica first growled at her.

 

He doesn't know how long he's been asleep but when he opens his eyes Stiles is seated on the floor between his legs and munching on some popcorn, everyone is spread out within the living room. Laura and Kale are on either side of Stiles, wrapped in blankets. There are pillows and blankets all over the floor and Derek spots a mattress or two over on his left. He huffs and Stiles cranes her neck back and smiles at him.

 

Its an honest smile, but its hollow, its missing its life and excitement. Derek offers a small smile and she goes back to watching the Avengers.

 

Someone’s phone rings and there's a chorus of boo's as Lydia stands and leaves the room as she pointedly ignores everyone.

 

Derek doesn't listen in, because he's busy enjoying the comfort that's warm and thick in the room around him.

 

Lydia comes back, standing in the opening of the living room.

 

"Harrison is coming to inspect the house tomorrow." She says, there's a chorus of growls, the loudest surprisingly being Peter's. "Harrison said it'd be alright for us to stay here as long as we didn't interfere,"

 

Stiles' right hand gripped tight at Derek's pant leg and he set his hand on her head, stroking her hair, "Okay." She whispers.

 

* * *

 

Stiles helped everyone to a room after ten-thirty. She avoided the twins room and cringed every time she was forced to walk passed the play room.

 

Derek helped her gather blankets and pillows for everyone from the living room linen closet, she chuckled quietly as she handed blankets to him, Derek raised a brow in question.

 

"Erica and Isaac would have loved this sleep over." She says, there's this wavy tinge of sadness in her voice and Derek stands closer. Making sure she can feel his warmth, she let a small quiet whine pass her lips before Talia showed up behind them.

 

"Mom-," Derek starts but Talia smiles at him and waves him off.

 

"Go, give out the blankets."

 

Derek gives her a look before he nods and looks at Stiles, she just stares blankly at Talia.

 

He leaves because he knows that look in his mother's eyes.

 

* * *

 

Derek's gone and its Stiles and his mother in the living room, Talia takes a seat on the empty couch and pats the space beside her. Stiles fidgets a little before she takes the offered seat.

 

"I'm sorry that my brother, Peter, is the way he is." She starts, Stiles perks up to tell her she doesn't have to apologize, Talia just shakes her head at her. "That isn't want I wanted to talk to you about."

 

Stiles watches her carefully, Stiles notices Derek looks so much like his mother, dark hair, olive tan skin with crystal clear eyes that could drown you if you looked into them for to long.

 

"From mother to mother I wanted to say, though I've had my kids and they are grown adults and can fend for themselves now. I know the pain of missing your children." Talia looks Stiles in the eyes, and her eyes aren't Alpha red or even hard and vacant of emotion. They are soft, caring and so fucking open that Stiles' own eyes began to water.

 

Talia pulls her in her arms and shush her, "I may not know the pain of having them taken away from me, or the pain that you are feeling right now, but I know what it’s like not having them around."

 

Stiles hesitantly warps her arms around Talia, making sure she's okay to hug back and when Talia rumbles that deep comforting rumble Derek does, Stiles warps her arms tightly around her and hold on like her life depended on it.

 

"Its so empty, even with everyone here. I- they aren't here, Ms. Hale, I'm-"

 

" _Talia,_ dear. No need for formalities." And that breaks Stiles' walls of protection and she wails as she holds on to Talia like she might fall apart if she doesn't.

 

Talia simply holds her close and let's her cry, "We are mothers, Stiles. Melissa, Kale's wife Jo, and myself," she whispers to Stiles as she hiccups against her chest. "All you have to do is ask for help, and we'll be ready to lend a hand."

 

Stiles nods shakily, she remembers this kindness, when her own mother would comfort her after a bad day or even a bad week. Talia saw in Stiles what Stiles was hoping to hide, her fear, her empty nesting.

 

"There are Dads here as well, willing to die for their cubs. Not just your father, Peter, Kale and my husband. But Derek is more then willing to sacrifice what he has for your pups." It doesn't sound like a threat, or like she dislikes that Derek is willing. She sounds sincere and thankful that her son is willing to do something for someone else's kids.

 

"He is...," Stiles trails off because she knows he is, Stiles can feel the bond that no one else can feel, its not of pack or of family. Talia pulls her away and smiles at her, because she sees it too.

 

"He is."

 

* * *

 

When Derek is done handing out blankets to everyone he's heading down the hall and to the grand-staircase an his mother is already there.

 

"She's in her bedroom," she whispers and heads down the way Derek came. She kisses his cheek before she walks past him, Derek watches after her, making sure she gets to her room before he walks to Stiles' bedroom.

 

When he pushes the door open, Stiles is standing in the moonlit area of her bedroom, tugging her shirt up and over her head. A deep flush creeps on him and he's about to shut the door when Stiles speaks.

 

"Its okay." Its a whisper of a noise and Derek would have missed it if he wasn't for his super hearing,

 

He keeps his eyes low as he enters the room, he knows his heart is probably beating like mad, but Stiles doesn't comment on it.

 

"Is it okay to sleep in your shirt?" She asks, Derek's eyes snap up and he meets her dark ones, she fiddling with her shirt in her hands, not moving to cover her torso or anything else for that matter.

 

Derek huffs and tears off his shirt, "Of course." He walks to her, standing a few inches away, he reaches for her shirt and trades it with his, "You don't have to ask."

 

Stiles looks up at him through her lashes, Derek's heart settles in his chest under her sheepish gaze, she runs her thin fingers over and in the soft cotton of his shirt.

 

"It smells like comfort," She whispers, "And something like chocolate." She pulls the shirt up to her nose taking in a lung full before she hums and pulls it over her head and fits it over her shoulders.

 

Derek really doesn't think about it, he wraps his arms around her shoulders and waits for the feel of her hands on his skin.

 

It’s strange how much her touch can burn his skin, a warm heat that's both pleasant and uncomfortable. It’s almost too much for him to understand.

 

"I miss them," her body is trembling in little bursts, "I miss them so fuckin' much," she whimpers low and timid against his chest. Derek is a silent presences, because this feeling is new to him, this intense feeling of longing and yearning is something he isn't quiet used to.

 

"I want them back I-"

 

"We'll get them back," Derek whispers, maybe it’s the use of _we_ that makes Stiles pull away, maybe it’s the tight feeling between them that makes her look up at him with such agony that Derek leans down and presses his lips to hers.

 

She doesn't pull away, she doesn't move. Her heart is steady and a calming reassurance that this is okay. Derek cups his hands gently at her jaw line, holding her steady as he continues to give her chaste lip presses. Her hands come up and hold his wrists, a tentative touch that manages to send chills across his skin.

 

He pulls away enough to connect their foreheads together, letting their breath mix and tangle in the warmth between them.

 

Derek isn't sure what they are, isn't sure what he is to Stiles and her kids. Yet, something bright and burning settles next to his wolf with each touch, each smile, each kiss.

 

Derek knows, he knows he'll bring those kids back. Even if he has to fight fang and claw to do it, he will bring them back.

 

"I'll bring them back."

 

* * *

 

Derek wakes up around two am, after changing into their pjs Stiles laid on the bed and waited for Derek before she took his hand and linked their fingers. She fell asleep like that, holding Derek's hand. She'd squeeze it every so often and Derek would squeeze back. Derek figured it was a way to keep her grounded.

 

Stiles was sound asleep next him, snoring quietly, her lips twitching around words that aren't spoken. Derek smiles down at her, brushes a few strands of hair away from her face with his free hand.

 

Derek doesn't know why he's awake, but he is. He sighs and leans down and presses his lips to Stiles temple, sliding out from the covers and of the bed. Letting Stiles hand go as he slides out.

 

She stirs a little, mumbling but eventually falls into her deep sleep.

 

Derek heads down stairs, and he isn't the only one there or with that idea.

 

When he turns into the kitchen, John, Dan, Peter and Kale are all there drinking water and coffee.

 

Derek raises his brow at them, John shakes his head along with Dan. Peter shrugs as does Kale. They offer him a coffee cup which he takes gratefully.

 

"Couldn't sleep either," Dan says quietly, "Peter started it. He was the first one down here." Dan points a tired thumb over his shoulder where Peter is raising a brow.

 

"John was down here after that then myself." Kale shrugged, "Dad showed up just a few minutes after me."

 

"And now you're here," John says.

 

"Now I'm here," Derek sighs, "Why am I down here?" He asks as he runs a hand down the length of his face. Dan and John chuckle because obviously there is something funny here that Derek missed.

 

"Well, we are all fathers," Peter answers unhelpfully. Derek glares at him for a short while but soon realizes its the middle of the night and he is too tired to even try.

 

"We're all just awake, I guess," says Kale as he leans his elbows on the island, letting his head hang low as he groans just a little. Derek doesn't blame him, he feels the same way.

 

"We know why Derek is down here." Peter huffs taking a sip of his coffee, they all turn to look at him tiredly raised eye brows and all. Peter raises both his brows give a clear 'what?' Expression.

 

"Would you like to share with the class, Peter?" Dan sighs like its too damn early(late?) to be dealing with Peter.

 

"It'd be nice, considering Derek looks like he's generally surprised under all that brooding," Kale says with a nod towards Derek.

 

Derek growls but his body is too tired, his wolf is too tired and he just doesn't want to deal with anyone right now. Or anything. Why the hell was he awake anyway? Wait, isn't that what their talking about?

 

"-cause we all feel it, but Derek is more emotionally connected. At least in that way," says Peter, everyone else seems as confused as Derek and he only got the tail end of it.

 

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kale snaps grumpily as he squints his eyes over his shoulder at Peter. Derek just ignores it all and takes a sip of his coffee letting the luke warm liquid numb his senses.

 

"Derek, Derek." Derek blinks back and sees that their staring at him now.

 

"What," because he's incapable of question marks this early(late?) Peter rolls his eyes and walks to him, settling down in a vacant chair in front of him.

 

He reaches out and holds Derek's shoulders staring directly into his eyes. Derek raises his brows in what he hopes is read as 'what the hell' Peter simply stares back.

 

"Close your eyes."

 

"I don't trust you," says Derek narrowing his eyes at his uncle. Peter rolls his eyes like he can't believe he deals with this.

 

"Do as I say," Peter insists, when Derek tries to protest Peter squeezes his shoulders. Derek sighs and rolls his eyes (its a family thing, its in the genes he swears.)

 

He shuts his eyes and listens for Peter, "Okay, what do you see?"

 

"Darkness?" Derek tries, he hears Kale laugh or scoff, and he grins just a little at his victory.

 

"When I say, Stiles, what do you see?" Peter asks with a grumble.

 

Derek thinks about it, he really doesn't have to though, because at the mention of her name all his senses high tail it to her bedroom where she is sleeping peacefully.

 

"-light, Moonlight." Derek answers. He hears Peter hum approvingly.

 

"Issac and Erica."

 

"Warm yellows and purples that catch the sun." Derek says without thinking about it.

 

"What do you feel?" Asks Peter, Derek's hand tightens around his mug and a small whine escapes him.

 

"Longing. Hurt, sore," Derek chokes out, it’s suddenly hard to breath and he feels like his head is spinning.

 

"Picture Stiles' face," Peter says, his voice smoothing over the edges of his ragged feeling, "Listen for her heart,"

 

Derek does, listens to the smooth and steady beat of it, drowning in the comfort it settles over his bones.

 

"Well, your kid's got it bad for my kid," John says, Derek opens his eyes and see's them shaking hands, "Welcome to the family,"

 

A floury of emotions spring from Derek's stomach to his chest and just make his wolf rumble with acceptance and happy feelings. The feelings were exploding when Dan welcomed John to the Hale family with a smile of openness and honesty.

 

"D'rk?" Stiles' voice comes from somewhere upstairs, Derek makes to get up but then he hears another heart beat and Peter stills him with one hand to his shoulder.

 

"Stiles, he's in the kitchen. Let's get you back to bed," Laura whispers, Laura was sleeping in the one of the rooms closest to Stiles' along with Cora.

 

"'Mkay," Stiles answers tiredly.

 

After a few moments Laura is heading down stairs and she smiles at all of them.

 

"Mom says 'Tell the boys we have a busy day tomorrow, we can go through the merging of packs later.' And Jo was hoping you'd be back with the bottle sooner not an hour later, Kale," Laura laughs, Kale flinches and makes and 'oh shit' face and starts on a bottle.

 

"Well, good night everyone," Peter sighs and heads into the living room, he refused any of the rooms Stiles offered, something about keeping an ear out for intruders.

 

They all file out after that, Derek makes his way back up stairs and into Stiles' room. She's curled around a body pillow with the comforter and the sheets pushed down by her feet. Derek didn't fight his smile when he saw one of Stiles' legs laying atop the pillow with her arms wrapped around it lazily.

 

"Stare all you want, 's comfortable as shit," Stiles mumbles as she curls more into the pillow.

 

"Should I be envious?" Derek chuckles as he works back into bed, laying on his side so he can face Stiles. Her hair is a tangled mess all over, covering her pillow and shoulder and part of her face.

 

"'S a pillow, D'rk," she buries her face a little before she decides it does her no good and kicks it aside in favor of using Derek as a new cuddle pillow, "You feel better, softer no, 'ust betta," she sighs as she nuzzles her face to his collar bone. Derek's wolf rumbles in contented bliss.

 

"Glad you think so," Derek smiles, he snakes one of his arms under her neck so her head was rested against his bicep. Then settled the other on the small of her back. There's a tiny rumble that sounds like a purr coming from Stiles; Derek keeps a chuckle to himself as he holds her just a little closer.

 

Stiles is fast asleep within seconds and Derek within minutes.

 

* * *

 

Derek knows its morning, he can feel the sun warming Stiles' side of the bed which is...empty. Derek bolts up right and snaps his eyes open, searching the room, but he can see or hear Stiles anywhere.

 

He tears the blankets off and runs off downstairs where he can hear everyone talking and eating?

 

"Where's Stiles?" Derek asks as he inspects the kitchen; Laura was on a stool by the end of the island with Aithne in her lap, Kale is talking to Peter over by the fridge, Jo and Allison are giggling over the stove, while Scott, John, Lydia and Talia are sitting at the table talking about what Derek assumes to be Pack merges.

 

"She went for a walk this morning, it was five-thirty or so," says Kale, pointing out the large glass window above the sink.

 

From the window Derek can see a trail, one Stiles must use all time, but his heart feels about ready to jump out of his chest. The last time he felt like that he hadn't seen Stiles or the pups for a week and a few days. Something was wrong.

 

The pack must notice that something isn't right or notice the panic around and on Derek's face because they all start to move. Derek doesn't bother putting a shirt on or actual pants, because he needs to find Stiles.

 

* * *

 

Its dark and the floor is cold; why the hell did Stiles head hurt?

 

"Waking up already? Hm, I thought you'd be asleep for a few more hours. But then again it is almost noon, and you been out for about eight hours," Stiles cringes, she'd know that voice anywhere. Her flight response is kicking in but her arms aren't moving, and neither are her legs.

 

"Did anyone ever tell you that you talk way to much, you crawling sack of shit," Stiles hisses, she knows her eyes are open but its blurry and dark. There's a dark chuckle coming somewhere from the room.

 

"The only sack of shit in this room would be you, Stiles." Matt purrs. Stiles ignores him as best she can, she feels something warm run down her left arm and she doesn't have to see to know its blood.

 

"You see, we need you to cooperate so we get what we need. And since Isaac and Erica-"

 

"Don't you touch them or I swear Matt I'll-"

 

"You'll what, Stiles? Hm? Your limbs are chained up and a little wolfsbane never hurt anyone." Matt hums smugly. Stiles growls, pulling at the chains on her arms and legs, it stung pretty horribly,

 

"What do you want," Stiles doesn't ask, isn't bothered to even flinch when she feels something cold touch her naked side. She's sure its a blade, a blade Matt always carried around in his pockets.

 

"What I want is respect. And money." He chuckles, Stiles hears the clicking of a belt and she knows what's coming. Her stomach begins to churn painful and she feels like she might throw up. "And since I couldn't get to Erica and Isaac, those two disgusting pieces of meat, I'll settle for their mutt of a mother." Matt hums, Stiles can feel his breath rancid and humid on her cheek.

 

"Please... Don't- Matt, don'-,"

 

* * *

 

Derek's looked everywhere.

 

He's searched that forest inside and out, he's almost torn out all the trees and bushes just to make sure. Hours, hours have passed and its almost sun down. His heart was beating erratically and he felt sick, very sick.

 

"Derek!" Kale yells, Derek high tails it in that direction, and there's a smell he can't place covering the scent of orange mint. Stiles.

 

He sees here, naked pale skin and shaking profusely. Kale is pulling his jacket it off and Derek growls. Stiles' vacant eyes that were looking nowhere find him. Her eyebrows knit together and her eyes water, her lips are purple and trembling.

 

"He's here...," she manages, her voice is tight and hoarse like she'd been screaming for hours. Derek growls again but makes for her, pulling off his shirt and quickly placing it over her head and settling it on her shoulders. Derek lifts her in a bridal carry and Kale howls to signal the rest.

 

"I'm sorry," Stiles whispers as she tries to bury herself into Derek's chest. "I'm-- he wants my pups, don't let-"

 

"He'll be dead by the time he reaches them," Derek growls threateningly as he starts for the house.

 

* * *

 

Jackson comes back hours after Stiles has gotten a shower and slept a few hours. Derek’s sitting there, watching constantly. Refusing to move or let someone else watch over her.

 

Harrison hums as he checks the house, Lydia follows close behind him, and before he leaves he tells Lydia that Erica and Isaac can't come home yet, but the house is more than acceptable.

 

Jackson gets updated in the events, and he burst into Stiles' bedroom and stares at Derek. Stiles is sound asleep after being sedated because she was to rattled to actually fall asleep on her own.

 

"I'll make sure he spends the rest of his sorry ass life in prison," is all Jackson says before he looks at Stiles then leaves the room, closing the door behind him.

 

Derek just takes a deep breath and goes to sit on the floor where Stiles is laying. She’s on her stomach with an arm hanging down by the side. Derek’s seen the chaffed marks from where there was some sort of rope tided around her neck and wrists. He thinks he saw some on her ankles, but they weren’t as red or bruised.

 

Derek wonders shortly how long she’ll have these, how long before the memory itself is just a horrible nightmare. Derek knows that’s not going to happen, knows Stiles will never get over it, knows this will haunt her until she’s dead.

 

Derek takes Stiles’ hand, lacing their fingers lazily, “D’r’k,” Derek looks up and sees that Stiles is talking in her sleep. There’s a warm ping in Derek’s heart that has him holding securely to Stiles’ hand.

 

Derek knows now what he didn’t know, Derek knows that he _has_ to protect, love, and _cherish_ Stiles and her pups.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, Sorry it was a little long, but I wanted to update this enough that I'll have another binge where I just write and write then add it all here.
> 
> My computer room is still under construction, and I uploaded this from my mother's lap top, because she is the kindest, awesomest person I know.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! [OH! I've started a thing on TUMBLR. I'm taking Prompts, so if you guys want one shots and if you enjoy my style of writing, feel free to leave me prompts! TUMBLR; (http://hiajay.tumblr.com/)]


	9. Safe With Me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SORRY. I've been busy with things and I know I've been neglecting my writing and I will try and stop that. I hope that this chapter is good and I hope that you guys like it and forgive me.

It’s a Monday, Derek’s back at work staring blankly the log book where all his students’ homework lays piled in large piles. Derek’s eyes are murky and tired, his body, despite its supernatural strength, is sore and so very heavy. Stiles was crying last night, she was crying that morning, Stiles was a mess and Derek can’t say he was any better. He isn’t sure he should even be in school today; he doesn’t even feel like he’s awake.

 

“Mr. Hale,” a soft voice makes it to his ears, Danny; Isaac’s friend is staring back at him in saddened curiosity. Derek shakes out of his thoughts.

 

“Yes, Danny?” Derek takes a deep breath and tries to turn his thoughts off as Danny holds his little hands to Derek’s desk.

 

“Is Isaac okay?” Danny asks, looking away from Derek and towards the two empty seats by the bay window. Isaac and Erica’s seats, Derek’s mind supplies. His stomach churns uncomfortably, “Erica told me their mommy was sick, and-” Derek tunes out, because Stiles isn’t sick, she’s _dying._

 

“They’re okay, Danny, they’ll be back before you know it,” Derek lies; it’s the first time he actually has trouble believing his own lie. Derek’s twisted the truth for his kids before, but this lie, this twisted truth doesn’t feel right. It feels like he’s mocking himself.

 

Danny nods at him and as he’s turning away to head back to his seat he turns around and stares down at his fiddling fingers. “Can you tell him I miss him, and I hope he gets better?”

 

Derek’s eyes threaten to water; he takes a deep shaky breath and offers a small smile. “Yes, I’ll tell him.” Danny smiles brightly back at him. The day carries on; it isn’t until the last bell that Derek thinks about Stiles and the rest of the pack. Saying goodbye to his kids as they all find their parents there’s a hand on his left shoulder and Derek can smell it before he see’s whose hand is offending his shoulder.

 

“Ms. Landers,” Derek growls under his breath. Ms. Landers sways her way into Derek’s view. She’s smiling, it’s almost sickening, Derek, if he weren’t still on school ground would snap his teeth at her.

 

“Mr. Hale, haven’t been a good boy have we?” She tries for seductive, but it comes out raspy and dry. Her smile doesn’t fade though, “Haven’t shown up to classes and we’ve missed you.”

 

“I’m dealing with some issues,” Derek growls, maybe if he progressively growls at her, she’ll get that he doesn’t have time for her shit. Of course that’s when Ms. Landers snakes both her hands on the flat surface of his shoulders like she’s fixing his stuffy button down shirt.

 

She wiggles delightedly and grins at him, batting her lashes and swaying her hips for him. A common affect used by humans to attract werewolves, Ms. Landers has been married four times, all four were too werewolves. Derek mentally rolls his eyes, her kid isn’t even in his class, and if he was Derek wouldn’t stand it. He’s seen her type of parenting and her kid is a brat.

 

“Problems with the girlfriend, huh?” she smirks, scratching her excessively long neon nails against his pectorals. “Y’know, I’m very flexible with my timing and-”

 

Derek’s had it, her sick charade is suffocating him, Derek flashes his eyes and lengthens his teeth and snaps them at her. She’s gasps and tears her hands away from Derek’s chest, like she’s been burned.

 

“My _fiancé,”_ Derek grits his teeth, “Has been abused every day of her life since she was eighteen, her children have been verbal abused and are currently being held away from their mother because the rotten bastard who is their father decided he could take them away from her. He raped her not four nights ago. And you’re here, flirting with me with because you think you’d have even the slightest chance with me.” Derek’s furious, he didn’t even want to share any of this with her, but he did because he’s tired of having to deal with her.

 

Her face has gone pale and her mouth is shut tight. “Alright, enough of that.” Allison’s voice chimes over him, her heels clank behind him until she’s standing beside him. “My sister-in-law is our concern, Ms. Landers, but I would appreciate it if you leave her fiancé alone.”

 

Derek is staring holes at Ms. Landers; she looks between Derek and Allison until she finally nods with a soft mumbled apology and trots away. Allison’s hand pats his shoulder and there’s a small weight lifted, Derek can place the feeling, even if Allison is human. The feeling is there, _Pack._ It’s a beautiful feeling of comfort and relief. Allison must see the change because she offers him a smile and a pat on the cheek,

 

“Let’s go home.” The words are loaded and filling; it sends chills down Derek’s spine, warm and florescent chills. Because now has something he can call _home._

* * *

 

 

Walking into Stile’s home is far less suffocating then when he walked into school, he nearly broke every speeding limit just to get back, but he’s in and it’s quiet.

 

Everyone had things to do; everyone was out of the house leaving it muted. It doesn’t take long for Stiles to know he’s back, because she’s standing at the top of the grand stair case when he looks back up towards the open space.

 

The orange setting sun light shines behind her, and Derek is left breathless, Stiles is holding herself still though Derek can see the small shake in her body.

 

“I thought I heard them.” Is all she whispers before she falls to her knees and Derek is up the staircase faster then she falls. Derek gathered her up in his arms and held her tight and secure. It’s minutes later before Stiles has stopped crying and she’s just a melted mess of dry heaves and sobs.

 

“It’s quiet in here, Derek,” she whispers, “Isaac he-,” Stiles stops and Derek can feel it, the howl. Derek lets a rumble vibrate through him letting her know its okay. And it’s like a thunderstorm, Stiles’ howl is loud and suddenly her human body is shifting and she’s growling and yelping as her bones break and reshape themselves to fight her larger wolf form.

 

Derek’s pushed off her, giving her room to shift and tussle her body.

 

After her shift, Derek’s own wolf’s rumbling in some much approval. Stiles is _gorgeous._ Her fur is a salt and pepper color that shines and looks incredible soft to the touch. Derek has the urge to rub his own fur against hers sharing scents and twining their furs.

 

Stiles’ legs are long and muscled, strong. Her paws are round and plump, her ears sharp and standing proud on her head. What catches Derek’s attention are Stiles’ eyes. Their large, round and the color is an amazing clear whiskey.

 

She’s standing unsure on her legs, she whines as she stares down at her paws, her ears darting left and right as she looks for an answer to her sudden change. Derek shifts to his feet crouching away from her, her head snaps at him looking lost and scared. Derek shushes her, reaching his hands out in an surrender.

 

She whines and the sound hurts Derek more than hearing her howl, because here, here she’s looking to him for help, looking at him to answer her terrifying question of _what the hell is happening?_

 

“It’s okay, Stiles,” Derek whispers, “You just shifted,” Derek explains. Stiles’ legs, Derek notices, start to shake underneath her. They can’t hold her weight, Derek’s subconscious tells him. But it’s too late, Stiles has fallen with a loud thump and a painful yelp.

 

Derek eases his way to her, he sees her shifting her legs, trying to lift herself, “No, don’t.” Derek says, Stiles huffs in disagreement, Derek knows her body must hurt, because as far as he knows, this the first time in years that she’s shifted fully.

 

Derek’s seen her flash her eyes, Derek’s seen her teeth lengthen, Derek’s seen her claws. And partial shifts hurt but they aren’t as painful as actually shifts. Stiles seems to shift from scared and confused to frustrated and upset.

 

Derek hovers his hands over her, unsure of being able to touch her. Of course that’s answered when Stiles completely gives up and just pushes herself on the wooden floors and noses her muzzle towards Derek. Derek happily settles his hands down on her flank and forehead. Her fur is soft and thick, a bit coarse around the shell of her rib cage.

 

There’s a quiet rumble as Derek brushes his fingers through her fur, Stiles for a small moment is asleep at the top of the staircase, she’s breathing, she’s asleep and gone to the world.

 

* * *

 

 

It’s later when Stiles wakes up, Derek laid there with her at the top of the staircase, after moving around and getting to where he’d be comfortable laying down next to her. Stiles whimpers just a little and Derek’s eyes snap open.

 

“I’m up, I’m awake,” Derek yawns and internally stretches. The house is still vacant of anyone else, and Stiles is getting up from her spot, her legs proudly under her, her head up high as she listens for others or just noises. Derek sits up and watches as Stiles stretches out her long body. It’s a beautiful sight and almost feels like he’s invading in some privacy.

 

So Derek takes it upon himself to stand and stretch his own aching sore bones. Now, well stretched and tired, Stiles makes her way gracefully downstairs. Derek follows without a word, maybe just the ones in his head that chime _you don’t understand how beautiful you are._

 

Stiles is standing in the living room staring back at Derek, she gives him a sneeze, Derek raises his brow. Stiles growls and snaps her teeth in his direction, Derek’s still not getting it so he raises both his brows. Stiles barks at him and sways her tail, she does a proud show of her wolf form. As if to say _look at me, look at my beautiful coat._

“What are you do-,” He’s cut short when Stiles barks at him, _Change!_ Derek’s wolf growls at him, _she wants you to shift!_ Derek sees that Stiles knows the light came on in his head, because she sits patiently waiting. Her tail sways at her side idly as she watches Derek.

 

Derek offers a small smile and starts stripping away his clothes, Stiles stares elsewhere when Derek’s fingers are playing with his belt and pants. He chuckles to himself and finishes taking off his clothes, he squares his shoulders and lets the sweet pain of his shift take over. Letting his bones snap and reshape, letting the fur grow and his snout lengthen.

 

It was sweet release and Derek rumbled with the satisfying twinge of his shift. Derek wasn’t much to look at, his wolf was proud, yes, but he wasn’t _Stiles._ Derek’s fur was a solid black with white specks doting his muzzle. His legs were strong, he could rely on them to get him away from any situation. Derek huffs a little then shakes out his fur. He soon becomes aware of Stiles.

 

She’s there staring at him, staring like she isn’t sure what she’s looking at. Derek offers a whine and lowers his ears. Stiles, like that, bursts into a happy barking bit, bouncing on her paws and dancing around Derek.

 

Derek isn’t sure what happened but he like the excitement, he barks along with her and they playfully nip at each other as they dance around the open living room.

 

The time flies by them and it isn’t until the front door opens and John walks in with Scott and Kale walk in, Scott bursts into fits of laughter shortly before he stripped off his clothes and shifted along with them, they played for hours, soon the whole pack was back and they’ve all shifted and decided it was time for a run.

 

The wind was cool and crisp the night sky is clear and bright, Stiles was beside him his family on his other side. _But_. . . something was missing. Derek feels it, and he knows Stiles feels it.

 

Their pups.

 

* * *

  

Later that night, long after their run as ended and everyone has showered and settled down in their sleeping spaces. Derek’s mind trails back to Ms. Landers and what he said to her, Derek was not only close to losing himself, but he referred to Stiles as his _fiancé._ Allison also referred to her that way.

 

He isn’t sure if— okay, he is sure, Derek wants a future with Stiles and her Pups. He wants to be a part of their life and knows with them being pack, he has his opening. Stiles hasn’t denied him, if anything she’s encouraged him.

 

But something, something is tickling his mind and he doesn’t know what it is until Stiles is walking out on her shapely, long human legs. Her skin is a beautiful pale skin, misty with water from her shower, her hair semi-damp as she works her way to Derek. She’s in his shirt, the shirt he handed her the first night. Derek’s heart races in his chest like its never have before.

 

His breath is clipped and his mind is trying to race to figure out what it is that he’s feeling what he wants to say. Stiles pauses at the edge of the bed and she watches Derek carefully. Its when her hand touches the bed post that Derek’s mind clears from its foggy existence.

 

“Derek, What’s Wrong?”

 

“I love you.”

 

Stiles’ eyes widened and Derek is sitting there on the bed staring back at her, her eyes open and slightly surprised. Derek hears Stiles gasp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will totally update more often! I promise! HOPE YOU ENJOYED THE CHAPTER!
> 
> P.S
> 
> Sorry it's a little short.


	10. Vulnerable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TWO CHAPTERS IN TWO DAYS. Oh my god.

The air was heavy around him, Stiles was there in front of him. Her eyes bright and shiny, her lips gently parted at their seams, her expression unreadable. Derek isn’t scared because Stiles is making her way, slowly, to him. A small rush of warm thrill as she sat there in front of him.

 

When her arm reached out and her thin, still cold, fingers touched his bare chest; he knew already. Stiles’ breathe was a little accelerated, she took a hard swallow and looked up at him from her lashes.

 

“I love _you_ ,” she says, Derek realized he’d been listening to her heart. There was overwhelming relief that washed over him when her heart was nothing but steady. Derek leans forward and waits for Stiles. Waits for her to met him halfway, he won’t push, but he’ll wait.

 

Stiles’ does, she leans in towards him and presses her crisp lips against his. And this time, it’s different, the kiss is soft, tentive and beautiful.

 

* * *

 

 

Erica isn’t sure what’s wrong, she doesn’t like it and she’s scared. But Isaac is here and she has to be strong for him.

 

“When do we get to see mommy?” Isaac asks, Erica pauses her coloring and looks over at her little brother, she remembers once when mommy told her it was okay to lie to Isaac, but she doesn’t know if this is something that’s okay to lie about. So after she watches him color a giant picture of the ninja turtles, she continues to color her own picture.

 

“I don’t know, ‘Zaac,” she tells him truthfully. Erica’s chest hurts, and she knows that Isaac’s does too, but he won’t say anything unless he says it to mommy. Nina Martin is nice, Erica thinks, but she isn’t mommy.

 

Nina Martin is Aunty Lydia’s mommy, she’s nice and she’s fun. But Erica misses her own mommy. Misses the way her mom would tuck her in at night, the way she’d kiss their foreheads. Erica doesn’t want to spend her time waiting to her mom, but Nina Martin says that they have to stay away for awhile.

 

“I miss mommy, ‘Rica,” Isaac whimpers, Erica looks up from her picture and see’s the Isaac is rubbing his eyes in secret. Trying to keep from crying, Erica pushes away from her picture and makes her way to Isaac where she hugs him to her.

 

“I miss her too,” Erica whispers into the soft curls on Isaac’s head.

 

* * *

 

 

It’s a snack time and Erica is outside with Isaac, playing in the large play house Nina Martin and Nino Martin had built just for them. Nina Martin comes outside to call them in but Erica pauses when she smells something that isn’t Nina Martin and her perfumey stuff. It smells like—

 

“Mommy?” Isaac calls from inside the play house. Erica looks out over to the door to see whose there, waiting to see her mom, but who steps out is just as good.

 

“Derek!” Erica squeals, both her and Isaac slide off and run to Derek. He’s smiling, but he looks tired, kind of like how mommy used to when they lived with their daddy. Derek hugs them and tells them their mommy is okay and she misses them very much.

 

Their sitting down and eating grapes and nectarines, Isaac doesn’t like nectarines so Erica eats them for him. Erica doesn’t really like grapes so Isaac eats those for her. Mommy would just give Erica a plate of nectarines and give Isaac grapes, but Nina Martin is learning.

 

Derek eats with them, he watches them for awhile, listening to them talk about how they were playing in the yard and how they found a rabbit and tried to chase it but it slipped through the backyard fence. Isaac tells him about the movies Nina Martin lets them watch and how they wish mommy could see them too.

 

“She misses you, both of you,” Derek tells them, “Uncle Jackson is working on a way to get you both back to us.”

 

Derek said that Erica and Isaac couldn’t tell anyone that he was here to see them. That they had to lie and say that they haven’t seen him at all. When Erica asks why, Derek gets this sad look on his face.

 

“Do you remember your dad?” Derek asks. Erica nods, Isaac sort of nods, he doesn’t like to think about daddy. He was loud and always hurt mommy, Isaac didn’t like it, Erica didn’t either but they couldn’t do anything about it.

 

“Well, he wants to take you guys away from mommy.” Erica whines high and loud, Isaac cowards her hiding away, Derek reaches out for them and pulls them up on his lap. He rumbles like mommy does when she wants to calm them down. Its familiar and comfortable, so they settle into Derek. “We’re all trying to get you back, okay?”

 

And for the second time in Erica’s life, she’s scared.

 

* * *

 

 

It was mid-day Stiles had been pacing the living room like she was on the prowl, waiting. She hears the familiar sound of the Camaros engine and she’s already running out the door. The Camaro pulls in as she’s off the porch steps and her heart is in her throat.

 

She can smell them, her kids. Derek stops the engine and opens his door, the scents are engulfing her, drowning her in the cruel reminder that she’s not around them like she needs to be. She stops her pursuit and stares at Derek as he shuts his door and looks over the roof of the car at her. His eyes, they say what his words won’t. Stiles can’t, she can’t take it.

 

Her wolf growls within her, nipping and gnawing at her ankles. _End him!_ It growls, the thought is almost a sweet release, because this whole time Stiles has rolled on her back. Let Matt control her life even when he wasn’t around. Stiles feels the tears pool on her bottom lids, feels the weight of her anger.

 

“I’ve had enough of this.” Stiles growls at Derek, he seems lost but Stiles doesn’t waste anymore time. Werewolves, much like Native Americans, have their own law, their own rules and Packs. Stiles will take matters into her own hands.

 

“Stiles!” Derek shouts behind her, but she’s headed into the woods, she’s feeling the painful release of her shift under her skin. Soon her paws are like thunder running across the dim-lit forest. She’ll find her way, and she’ll bring her kids home again.

 

Running, running as fast as her legs will allow. A memory flashes past her, a comfortable memory of her mother. Playing in the woods as a Pup and having her mother playfully nip at her heels, teaching her that the fast she runs the better are her chances at survival. The memory turns sour when she remembers Matt, when she remembers the night she was covered in purple and green bruises. She wasn’t fast enough.

 

Day soon turns into night and Stiles knows she’s close, because the need to submit and expose her belly is trying to eat her alive.

 

It’s not long after that she hears the thumping of other paws. Sickly familiar and _weak_ paws that stay hidden within the trees. Stiles slows her pace and makes for a trot until she comes to a small clearing, she knows where she is, Beacon Hills forests are large and beautiful and she’s travelled almost every inch of them. Matt’s mother, Lilliana comes out first, her fur matted with mud and tree leaves. She stares Stiles down, Stiles refuses to look away. She stands tall, staring right back at her.

 

Lilliana eyes flash a bright blue, it no longer surprises Stiles. The whole of Matt’s pack are murders, she’s no longer afraid. Her wolf is powerful, Stiles knows she’s stronger as a wolf.

 

Stiles’ hackles raise and Lilliana lowers herself just slightly, ready to jump. Stiles exposes her teeth and straightens her stance.  Lilliana lunges at her and Stiles doesn’t waste time, she steadies herself opening her snout and taking a bite out of Lilliana’s flank. She yelps when their bodies collide and Stiles is pushing Lilliana off her, rolling her off the side and biting down harder on her flank.

 

Lilliana’s had chest problems since before Stiles knew her, this was one thing she should’ve kept to herself while Stiles was locked in that room.

 

Lilliana’s kicking and trying to snap at Stiles’ legs, but Stiles continues to add pressure. Its until Stiles can taste Lilliana’s blood in her mouth that she relents and jumps back.

 

Whimper and trying to stand, Lilliana is no longer a threat, but Matt’s Older sister, Cady, is. Stiles is ambushed by her from her left side. Cady is growling and snapping her teeth as she knocks Stiles off her feet. Stiles recovers quickly and goes for Cady’s left hind leg. It’s her weak ankle and Stiles knows she’s had trouble healing it once its broken.

 

Stiles takes a bite out of it but at the cost of her right thigh. Cady bit down before Stiles got to her ankle and tried pulling her off, but Stiles was stronger, faster. Cady howls in pain as she falls on her side, Stiles snaps the ankle under her teeth just for good measure.

 

Stiles releases Cady’s ankle and licks the blood off her snout, tasting the bitter, iron taste of their blood made her feel sick. Stiles knows Matt’s watching, she knows He’ll send his little brother out before he faces her himself. Matt’s little brother, John is only fourteen. He’s never seen a fight and he sure as hell won’t after he’s heard his mother’s and older sister’s cries of agony.

 

But of course the quivering mess of a fourteen year old werewolf comes out of the tree line. Stiles growls low and deep letting her paws sink into the ground and exposing her teeth. _Get ready,_ her wolf purrs in satisfaction. But as soon as John smells and see’s the blood around Stiles he’s whimpering off into the woods. _He would have healed,_ Stiles thinks darkly.

 

“So you’ve come to kill me,” Matt’s voice echoes around her, Stiles’ ears are attentive and her body is prepared. “I’m surprised. Really I am. Here I was thinking you’d actually let me get away with taking those pieces of shit.” His voice is thick and cold, Stiles feels it in her lungs, she bites down her urge to throw up.

 

“I guess I was wrong,” Matt growls and come out of the dark of the trees and takes Stiles down in a quick blow.

 

* * *

 

 

Derek’s called the Pack, howled and waited for them. Their running, following Stiles’ scent. Derek’s heart is in his throat, he knows what Stiles plans to do, and Derek doesn’t want to lose that innocent look in her eyes when she succeeds in her plan.

 

Derek doesn’t want to have Stiles explain to her child as to why her eyes will blaze a clear blue when she shifts. Derek knows Stiles is powerful, knows she’ll win the fight, that’s what he’s scared of. Somewhere off to Derek’s left, Peter howls and the Pack changes their course. Following Peter, he’s always been the tracker of the family, the tracker and the left hand. As much as he loves his uncle, Derek hopes Peter intervenes before Stiles has a chance to finish Matt.

 

Derek can hear it before he can smell it, Stiles is barking and howling off to a clearing where Derek and Laura used to play. Then the _blood._ Derek’s pushing his legs, forcing them to pulling faster, it takes him a moment to realize the blood isn’t Stiles’. That’s when his mother gives a sharp bark, she’s found a body, alive. Laura gives another bark, she’s found another, also Alive.

 

John barks, another unharmed. Peter is running along side Derek as is Kale. Pushing their legs further and further until they can see a mass of fur rolling over on the ground; Stiles seems to have the upper hand. Derek’s Father howls while Peter and Kale go to help Stiles.

 

Derek see’s Matt take a sharp bite at Stiles’ tail and her yelp has Derek seeing red. He’s jumping the distance and landing right beside the fight. Derek makes quick and snaps his teeth around Matt’s scruff sinking his teeth in and enjoying the sound of his yelp. Derek manages to haul Matt away from Stiles while Peter and Kale try and keep her from going feral. Derek’s father helps Derek take hold of Matt, gripping his teeth on Matt’s neck.

 

Derek hears Stiles whimper and whine and in the moments distraction Matt Kicks his paws at Derek’s hind leg, knocking him off his feet and forcing him to let go of his neck.

 

Soon it’s all a blur.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HIYA guys! Hey so really sorry about my bad grammar skills, like that shit is a real pain, I'm legit trying to makes sure they don't happen and I'm really sorry that if you see them and they bug you. But I'm trying to like get these chapters out to you and I don't always reread what I'm doing. REALLY SORRy about that. Like I seriously feel bad that you guys have to put up with my bad grammar. Just know that I do know the difference, I'm just rushing it and being careless. SORRY.
> 
> so anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I will see if I can update again soon!
> 
> OH! and my tumblr is always OPEN. I will take any and all requested prompts!


	11. Warmth and Comfort.

Derek licked Stiles face, wiping the dripping blood off her snout as she stood there shaking. Peter’s flanks were heaving as he stood over Matt’s limp body. Talia, Laura, and John have taken the others to the station, while Derek’s father, Peter and Kale are here.

 

Matt’s legs are kicking weakly, his chest is raising and falling with every deep breath. Stiles is whimper-growling, as she looks past Derek and too the limp mass of Matt.

 

After Matt had knocked Derek off his feet, panic set in and Derek needed to protect Stiles. He got up, but not before his father could sink his teeth further into Matt’s neck, Kale was soon there snapping his teeth around Matt’s right ankle, biting until the sharp snap of breaking bone was echoing around them.

 

It wasn’t enough, of course, Matt got on his three good legs and pushed his shoulder into Derek’s father. Soon they were all a large mass of fur, Peter jumped in to keep them away from Stiles. But all was a wasted try, because Stiles is the one that brought Matt Down.

 

She managed to push herself in the mass and grab Matt’s gullet. She gripped and hauled him up and over the mass, flipping him over and slamming his back to the ground. Matt let out a booming yelp and Stiles tightened her grip and the sounds coming from Matt were all gurgled and strained.

 

Derek managed to make her let go, and nosed her off to some nook where she was curled up. Derek was there standing above her, leaning over to clean Stiles muzzle and what he could reach with his tongue.

 

Peter, Kale and Derek’s father had Matt pinned down, not that he was moving much anymore. It was almost the break of day when John came back to take Matt into custody.

 

There was a sad look on his face as he looked over at his daughter, but he hauled Matt’s bloody, limp, fur covered body into the back of his bronco.

 

Derek breathed for the first time that night when Matt was gone. He curled himself there with Stiles and she’s whimpered and curling into him. Hiding her face and shaking profoundly. Derek howls, something small and tired as he lays his head down on Stiles.

 

* * *

 

 

Saturday was a cloudy day, there’s water in the air and Derek can smell the rain. Derek looks in his rearview mirror two blonde twins sit in his back seat. Sleeping soundly as Derek drives back to Beacon Hills County.

Friday, Jackson came back from Atlanta, with all of Stiles’ records. He was a little upset that he missed the fight, but proud that Stiles was still alive. Scott and Allison worked with Chris Argent on setting cameras and marking the Stilinski-Hale territory.

 

Lydia, well she was just happy everyone was alive. Of course, so was everyone else that stayed back and kept the house safe.

 

Derek checked his rearview one more time, it was his billionth time checking it, Erica and Isaac are sleeping, little smiles playing at their lips. Derek focuses on the road again and lets the sound of their heart beats settle in his soul.

 

* * *

 

 

As Derek pulls into the Stiles’ and his _new_ home. Stiles is standing just off the porch steps, Derek pulls in and parks, stopping the engine and getting out of the car. He makes quick eye contact with Stiles before he goes to the back seat and opens the back door. He magically manages to wiggle both sleeping toddlers into his arms.

 

The mumble and shuffle until they are settled in against Derek’s chest, Derek looks up and Stiles’ eyes are watering, she’s covering her mouth and she’s whimpering. Derek makes his steady but quick pace towards her.

 

Once there, Stiles is crying shakily reaching out to touch their heads, “My Pups,” she whispers, “I’ve missed you so much.”

 

Derek feels the immediate relief when Stiles wraps her arms around all three of them, rubbing her cheek against their arms and sides. John, and the rest of the pack come out of the house quietly watching the small reunion. Derek catches John’s eye, he nods at him with a small tear leaving his tired eyes. Derek nods back.

 

“Mommy?” Isaac mumbles and shuffles over and leans against her, Stiles nods and takes him from Derek’s arms, “Can I have some grapes?” he asks in a mumble. Stiles smiles bright and nods her head.

 

“Of course you can have some grapes, Pup,” Stiles holds Isaac to her chest, holding him tight, Stiles looks up at Derek in a quiet moment and lips the words _Thank you._

Derek’s heart shoots into his throat. He smiles back at her with a small nod, he decidedly starts leading her into the house. Everyone is waiting to meet their new pack members, everyone’s waiting to finally feel whole.

 

* * *

 

 

“Daddy,” Erica’s voice is soft and sleep mused from their bedroom door, “Daddy,” she calls again. It’s almost four in the morning and she’s up and calling them from the bedroom door. Derek internally stretches and opens his eyes. It’s been a month since Matt’s been arrested, Stiles is sleeping better and the pups are open and expressive. Erica shifted into her wolf form for the first time, Stiles was beyond happy, soon all three of them were shifting and running around driving Derek crazy.

 

“C’mere,” he whispers, he hears Erica’s tiny thumping feet on the wood floor walking quickly and jumping on the bed next to Derek. She’s hugging her favourite stuffed toy and her kitten dress pjs. She cuddles into Derek, her small warm body is not as unfamiliar and odd as Derek would think it’d be to have there next to him. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Derek asks in the quiet of the room. Settling Erica there beside him, wrapping his arms gently around her.

 

She’s just like her mother, Derek thinks warmly. Erica is quiet for a moment before she speaks up, “You are going to marry mommy tomorrow, right?” she asks. Derek’s breath catches in his throat, he turns his head slightly over and see’s Stiles there. Her body totally relaxed, her breathing even and steady. He realizes that he’s not just marrying her, he’s marrying her family.

 

“No,” he answers, Erica pulls away just a little and wiggles underneath him, “I’m marrying all of you.”


End file.
